Banchory trip

First trip "home" to Banchory in a long time, via the A90 where in Angus road-kill Tawny Owl, Barn Owl and Buzzard were spotted on the north verge within the 5 miles west of Brechin.

The Tawny was a rufous morph and of interest for ageing, as per photos this is not a juv (no sign of narrow subterminal bands), neither does it seem likely to be a 1st-summer (which typically retain some juv feathers) hence must be an adult, though it is also unusual not to see any sign of moulting feathers in August, i.e. regrowing or missing feathers. All primaries on the left wing seem present and correct. These photos can also be compared with those of 1st-summer and juvenile Tawnies discussed previously on this blog, credit to Henk Jan Koning who provided all expert advice and the additional photos there.

No birding in Banchory but we did a circuit of my old patch, the Loch of Leys, spotting Jays out in the scrub and an Osprey hunting the fish pond (mobile phone photo taken from moving car!); latter may be regular there now but is certainly an addition to my old "annotated species list".

Down at the Bridge of Feugh large salmon were leaping at 2 or 3 per minute (one visible to the right of photo below) and a Dipper flew upstream. A Swift was seen over Strachan.