birds not in the garden

[Scally]

You know, I'm just happy to get any picture at all: especially of something new for me. Or just plain awesome, like this massive flock of Greylag geese on a bleak, north Lewis loch:

A huge flock of greylag geese, Lewis

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Or gently opening the car window to take this shot of a lapwing: normally seen at some distance..

Getting up close to a Lapwing..

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Or seeing grey seals - our biggest native predator - in their natural environment.

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[Scally]

Spent a few days working around Loch Fyne last weekend:

Love the curlew - such a beautiful bird.

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Red breasted mergansers - about eight of them. Real punks with that shaggy crest!#

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elegant swans

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[Scally]

A few more days in Argyll, and the binoculars came in handy: these charming redshanks are small and inconspicuous when surrounded by the far larger and showier oystercatchers, mallard and gulls:

Redshank at Arrochar

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Redshank at Arrochar

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Redshank at Arrochar

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[Scally]

Working up in the North East last weekend. These pictures are taken near Skelbo, Dornoch:

This house martin chick needs to learn to fly before he falls out of his nest!

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Harbour seals colony

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Eider ducks

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[Scally]

Still on Dornoch coasts..

Black headed gulls lose their black heads in summer!

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Crows are a common sight on most British beaches

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Greylag geese in the foreground, and a large gathering of oystercatchers behind.

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[Scally]

Two young swallows debate the concept of citizenship. Benmore gardens, Argyll, Scotland, yesterday:

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[david c]

MISS MISS ,SCALLY IS AT IT AGAIN.

[susieq]

MISS MISS ,SCALLY IS AT IT AGAIN.

yes David, we've noticed

[Carers UK Admin]

Haha, very good Scally!

As you know we've decided that debates around the referendum were causing division and anxiety on the forum, and distracting us from why we're all here - to support one another through the ups and downs of caring. There are many places where you can debate this issue if you would like - including up a tree in Benmore gardens, Argyll it seems! So let's leave this one here - we're not opening a debate on this issue again, for all the reasons I have already stated on the forum.

[Scally]

Crackin' pics, though, aren't they!