People keep telling us there are otters along this coast. We see road signs warning of otters on the road - which didn't prevent one being run over near Brora recently. We've seen spraint, and we've found tracks on the beaches. Then, on yesterday's walk, we met a lady with whom we've often discussed the best place to see otters, who told us that she had had several sightings in the last few days, at the southern end of the village's promenade. So, despite this morning's deluge - at least it wasn't windy and the temperature had risen to an exciting 9C - I went to the spot to check it out.
There were moments of excitement. Could this be one? It turned out to be a cormorant.
It was a damp walk but not unpleasant, and although it sounds very antisocial I do enjoy having the promenade entirely to myself - not even the dog walkers were out.
It isn't that we've not seen otters. We had them often playing in the bay below our house on Ardnamurchan and I set up a trail cam to record their antics. However, it would be good to see a Sutherland version.
So I didn't see an otter - apparently they're most likely to be out hunting on a rising tide, and today's was falling - but the walk wasn't without its moments. This tree contained almost fifty small birds, mostly chaffinches but with a good scattering of yellowhammers, and....
....this little chap made my day, the first returning migrant of the year, a pied wagtail.
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