A positively balmy day in the Highlands, with perfect blue skies and amazing panoramas of the Cairngorms. The bird activity is really starting to hot up now, with waders everywhere. It's easy to forget what a beautiful bird the Lapwing is in the full glory of its breeding plumage with its dark green back and glossed purple and copper wing edges - enough for me to forgive their relentless a-wheep wheep! song through the dead of night keeping me awake!

It was a great to get a couple of sightings of the elusive Woodcock on our Woodcock walk last night, and the three displaying Kestrels at Layby 151 this morning - better known as a favoured spot for Ring Ouzel - put on a great show. The "mountain blackbird" should be making an appearance any time now...