Sunday, October 14, 2018
A little egret flew up the Allt Loch Raa at Achnahaird around 12.30 on this bright, sunny, but fairly cold day.
Twenty golden plover and ten ringed plover were on the salt-marsh. The egret was later seen again from the junction lay-by, fishing in the channel and sometimes stalking across the grass.
Later: the grey lores, a pinkish base to the lower mandible, and the greenish legs mean this is an immature bird. Wonder where that was bred.
Two little egrets have been reported in Assynt recently, so this could be one of those relocating. They're now pretty common in the south-east of England, but this was my first in Scotland. Twite and stonechats were seen elsewhere, and a reed bunting was on the wires back at the main road. A golden eagle was spotted over - frustratingly - a very distant ridge.
A pale arc of the moon (the waxing crescent, apparently) was visible just above the same ridge and so appearing huge - but any hopes of getting a picture of the eagle flying against the moon were shot down in flames when the eagle moved off in the opposite direction. Still - a lovely, golden day.
// posted by Christine @ 11:25 AM 
