Scotland day 2 White-billed diver at Portsoy

After leaving Seaton park & the Harlequin duck behind we head off to Potrsoy in search of the White-billed divers.
It's a small harbour that you can look down over from the cliff tops, the weather is getting better but still cold.
After about an hour we see no sign of the target bird but pick out Great-northern diver & Long-tailed ducks, so 2 year ticks but we need to find the 3 reported White-b divers. So we drive to a higher point around the cliffs & it's not to long before Brian has us onto another lifer, they are a long way off shore & the sea is rough but we all get a view of them in the scope.
Another nice place visited & we get to meet some birders that we see from time to time down south, off back down to the inn after a great day birding & seeing some great scenery again.
On the way we see the Black Grouse again at least 8 this time.
Up early on Saturday morning & back up to Loch Garten, on the way we stop off at Boat of Garten & it gives us an Iceland Gull for a year tick so a good start to the day.
Back at Loch Garten still no sign of any Caper, so it's a hour or so watching the Crested Tits & Red Squirrel in the car park.

Red Squirrel

Crested Tit

Now it's off to one of my favourite places to spend a couple of hours at Lochindorb, there is a large Gull colony that you see before you get to the Loch.

This is the place to see plenty off Red Grouse as you cruise around the road at the back of the Loch,you can't drive to far without seeing a head pop up, we see plenty of females this year as well.

Back on the Loch at the south end Black-throated diver are picked out, at the north end we see Red-throated diver so 2 more year ticks.

With not much about around the edges of the Loch we head off to look for Eagles in the Findhorn valley.

Once at the bridge we embark on the 10 mile drive down into the valley, half way down the track we see the first Eagle it turns out to be a White-tailed Eagle & it is being mobbed by a couple of Buzzards & what we think is a Goshawk, then just to add to the excitement a Golden Eagle flies into view, how lucky is that you don't see a scene like that every day.

Heading down to the bottom of the valley we meet up with some old faces from yesterday & before to long we get to see two more Golden Eagles & we also spot a Peregrine land on the rock face.
As if the day couldn't get any better one of lads has a radio on & relays the news that Arsenal have smashed Liverpool 4- 1 good days. Maybe Springsteen playing live would just about make this a perfect day.