First Bird Survey Morning of the Year

Male Wheatear (Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 (108mm (600mm Full Frame Equivalent), 1/500 sec at f/2.8, ISO 160, handheld)

This morning was an early start for the first croftland bird survey at Balmacara Estate.  Today we were at Duirinish and Drumbuie from 6:30 to 8:45 am for what was a beautiful calm morning.  We had 34 species of bird recorded in total if you include the great northern divers and a guillemot offshore.  Highlights were the first wheatears of the year, of which the above was one very obliging male who sat nicely on this fence post while I took a few shots, also a single twite, lots of linnet and lesser redpoll and skylarks singing, reed bunting and a merlin.  There can't be too many better ways to start a day than wandering around these wonderful crofting townships listening to the spring bird song as the sun rises above the eastern horizon, and no midges yet.