Sun

A hard frost and clear skies greeted us when we woke this morning so we were off along the beach to enjoy the sun's warmth and to see what wildlife was moving along the Golspie end, not that we were quite expecting our first encounter which was with....

....a pair of snow-white doves feeding with the oystercatchers along the tide line - though the male seemed very intent on making amorous advances to his mate.

A small group of long-tailed ducks was foraging close in to the shore. For a minute or so they were all on the surface then, as if in a well-rehearsed routine, they all dived. Most were females but they were mixed with a few males - the one on the right is a male. A larger group of eider were diving in deeper water beyond them.

As the tide fell  so several groups of waders started working the newly-exposed beach. This is the first pair of ringed plovers we've seen at the Golspie end since the summer, when we were watching their attempts to nest. They flew on as we approached to mix with....

....a small flock of very busy sanderling. They like to feed almost in the waves as they wash through the stones, running back-and-forth to avoid being soaked. Note that the bird at bottom right of the picture is sporting no fewer than four rings on its legs.

The beach was, as usual, deserted of humanity except for one lady walking her border collie. I keep saying it - how fortunate we are to have a beach almost to ourselves.