Harlequin duck on annual trip to Scotland

Jimmy & I drive to Stanstead Airport picking up Brian on the way for our 8am. flight to Glasgow for our annual trip to boost the year ticks & hope we can pick up a lifer or two.
We are soon in the rental car with no fuss this year, as we always do the first port of call is Oban, the first tick is always Hooded crow but not this year as we see a nice Golden Eagle on route.
Once we arrive in Oban the Hooded crows give us tick number two followed by the first Eider duck & we are soon onto the Black Guillemot.
After a couple of hours here it's off to the Premier inn in Fort William where we are staying this trip,
After dropping off our things, we are off so as not to waste any daylight we head up to the Glen Nevis estate where we pick up a nice Dipper Jimmy & I needed that for a tick.
A good drive around taking in the beautiful scenery but no more ticks, so we head back down to the inn & on the way we pull over to watch some Buzzards & 2 Crossbill land in a bush right next to the car, if they were Scottish Crossbill it's a tick but we are not sure so it,s not counted.
So a good first day. we are up & out by 5am for day 2, it's up to Loch Garten for the Caper watch.
Plenty of people about looking but not to be today, we do get the bonus of the female Osprey that had just returned the night before to give us a year tick, so back to the car park where we pick up a tick with a couple of Crested Tits always a thrill for us to watch this lovely little bird going about it's business.
We take the decision to drive across the highlands to Aberdeen for the Harlequin duck it is a lifer for all of us so we just had to make the trip to look for it.
It's a long slow drive with the weather not to bright & the rain is on & off for much off the way

. Parking in Seaton park it is only a short walk before we are all ticking another lifer, the duck shows very well for the whole time we spend here, a cracking little bird to watch as it battles the rapid waters & then gets itself up on a stone in the middle of the water to preen itself & to rest after doing battle with the very fast flowing water.
A Goosander drops in as well, not needed for a tick but nice.

Black Guillemot

Dipper

Harlequin duck

Harlequin 

                                     

Hooded crow

       

                                                                                   Harlequin Duck