Heading to the sun

  After several weeks of seemingly endless driving, I'm off for a two week break and even more driving ! Tomorrow I get the over night ferry south, drive south from Aberdeen, two days at my old home, travel to London, fly to Spain and then, HOLIDAY ! - and no driving. We'll be staying in the Spanish Pyrenees for just over a week which I'm really looking forward to. The last time I was in that area was way back in the 80s when I travelled down there by motorbike (a 1100 cc Honda Goldwing).

  Back home, the kittens were sorted with a house sitter (that should be cat sitter) and while I was sorting out the car I saw my first otter from the house in a long time (not counting the trailcam images). I went down the field to try and get some shots but the wind was wrong and it soon caught my scent and swam further offshore. Two nights ago I set the trailcam up and captured a close (and in turn quite brief - it only shows for 8 seconds) view of it down at the pool......

  By the time I return, summer will be over (for the breeding birds anyway) and the first few migrants will start to trickle through. There are already returning waders around such as Turnstones, Sanderling and Knot - last weekend I had an early Purple Sandpiper at Skaw. After that maybe a few Willow Warblers or maybe the odd one or two Crossbills until the autumn migration kicks in during early September.

               Robbie