This past weekend was a beautiful one in Nairn, Scotland and was the first time we managed to get the bikes out this year and cycle from Nairn Lochloy Holiday Park. We didn't venture far as the ground was still frozen in places but the sheer thrill of feeling the icy wind blowing in our faces was great!
We left Caravan 109 and headed through the East Beach car park and past the Nairn Dunbar Golf Course. They have spent the Winter cutting back a lot of the Gorse bushes so you now get some nice views across the Golf Course. We then went on past the Minister's Pool and cut up in to the Culbin Forest where there is a great little track with a few twists and turns, as well as a great steep trick slope! We stopped and looked out over the marsh and mudflats where there were huge flocks of Knot, Oystercatcher and Redshank. There were also large numbers of Bar Tailed Godwits. We then returned past Darren (the Bull) and along the road back to the Caravan Park.
Having put the bikes away, we then set off on foot the other way towards Nairn harbour. On the beach we passed the resident (in Winter) flock of Snow Buntings which seems to get bigger each time we see them. There must be at least 70 of them. We then stopped off at Basil, the wonderful little cafe by the harbour. They are currently doing the best fresh Crab sandwiches in the world!! Fed and watered we carried on past the Links Tearoom and towards the Nairn Championship Golf Course.
Out to sea there were lots of Gulls but it was the wildfowl that were the stars. There were lots of Long Tailed Ducks (or Fairy Penguins as a friend of ours calls them!), 3 female Common Scoter, some Eider and a small flock of Scaup including a splendid male. There was also a beautiful male Red Breasted Merganser close in showing his colours in the sunshine.
On the way back to Croy we came across a huge flock of Pink Footed Geese and amongst them there were two Barnacle Geese. They look very out of place!!
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