Ythan Estuary and Loch of Strathbeg

Not so much an annual trip to the Ythan Estuary these days, I'll return at least once more for Skuas and probably for anything out of the ordinary. I had an early start and managed to include a short spell at Loch of Strathbeg.

I'm somewhat miffed that I missed a Green-winged Teal at Strathbeg but the Ythan came up trumps with, King Eider, Long-tailed Ducks, Little, Arctic, Common and Sandwich Terns, and a bonus Pale-bellied Brent Goose.

This post was completed on Saturday 5th with most photos taken on the 4th, Ravens on the 3rd.

Click on the links below for videos, only if you want...........

Eurasian Spoonbills at Loch of Strathbeg          King Eider drake at the Ythan Estuary

Little Tern at the Ythan Estuary                           Pale-bellied Brent Goose at the Ythan Estuary

Grey Seals at the Ythan Estuary, 1000 or more

Little Tern, one of a sequence of shots with the sand eel I got

Until you get a close view of these tiny Terns it's difficult to appreciate just how small they are

One of another sequence, this time with a bit of sunlight involved

The returning King Eider drake, found this time around 150 metres downstream from the old wreck ( the wreck is near the lifeboat shed and marked on some maps)

This one is for comparison, but if you see it you'll know right away unless it's sleeping

With a mussel just before it gave up and went to preen and roost on the north bank

Look at me!

Also at the Ythan but upstream at the Inches, an unexpected find for May, a pair of Long-tailed Ducks

A Sand Martin checking out nesting opportunities

About one third of a large flock of Sanderling which stayed long enough to get flushed by yet another dog. The Terns went with them

The last I saw of them. These don't look as advanced with their moult as birds I saw at Easthaven recently

I felt like this when I was a kid, I had size eleven feet at primary school, or as they say at the "Fit o' the Toon", feet like fish boxes!

Always a nosey Grey Seal wanting it's photo taken

Some of at least 1000 animals on the north bank thanks to the area being cordoned off for the ternery

Still not the whole group of Grey Seals

The best I could get with the Canon SX60. There were three of these Spoonbills at Strathbeg and always as far out from Stranafin as they could be without moving to the other areas of the reserve

Taken through the window at the RSPB building at Starnafin

This foal at Strathbeg is for Faith, I told her it's a baby Unicorn, we have an ongoing bit of banter about whether they exist

Some from St Cyrus of the Ravens where four large and near to fledging youngsters are in the nest, unless there's a fifth I couldn't see

I'm not sure if the Raven took an egg or something from a Jackdaw nest but it was chased by a flock of them before landing at it's nest and feeding the chicks

I can see at least four beaks begging for the food here and other photos appeared to show pin feathers on the wings. One chick was exercising it's wings on the grassy ledge and as these were taken on May 3rd there's a chance some may have fledged by now