Saturday, January 5, 2019

Alturlie Point,Inverness. 3rd January, 2019

An extended visit to Alturlie Point alongside the Moray Firth east of Inverness,  (which can be combined very easily with a trip to the Retail Park !! ).

Rather grey and cold with daytime temperatures around 2/3C .  Tide was fully up with the accompanying collections of waders and gulls on the shoreline.   A good selection of corvids in nearby fields  ( Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Rook and Jackdaw )  would have been a good study ground for any beginner. 

Out on the Firth there was a good selection of duck on offer ( Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Goldeneye, Scaup, ) with an odd Red-breasted Merganser and a very obliging female Long-tailed Duck. Several small rafts of both Scaup and Goldeneye were farther out too.  Grey-lag Geese fed in nearby fields and an overflying Cormorant added to the picture. Waders were represented by Oystercatcher, Redshank and Curlew.  Noticeably absent were any small birds as I walked along the road running immediately adjacent to the water.

So, a modest but pleasant array of birds, good views and an easily visited location.

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