Christine's walking & birds blog

A kestrel was at Ardmair today, hovering over the camp-site between showers of sleet. Back home, a redpoll was spotted in the garden at 3.30 pm and snapped through the window; "only" a lesser I think, but good to see one after a long redpoll drought.

Yesterday, an immature gull on West Shore was picking half-heartedly at a dead starfish; and when the gull wandered off I walked down to investigate.

 
Having viewed it only through my bins, I was surprised to see how small it actually was - about five inches across. I think this could be a spiny starfish.

A few days ago, a heron stalking the shallows of Loch Kanaird caught what I think is a scorpion fish.

The heron dropped the fish back into the water several times and also shook it.

I think this is the same species of fish that an otter was eating on the shore of Loch Broom about a week ago. They both showed features on their undersides resembling small arms, seeming to give the unfortunate fish a rather pathetic, supplicating appearance.