Some different garden birds

When we left our tiny Wareham town centre garden behind on Friday, a Blackbird was tending to three newly hatched chicks, but apart from that there wasn't much to be seen in it by way of wildlife. Holidays mean a chance to see what turns up in someone else's garden and our lochside cottage on the west coast of Scotland this week is one of the better ones we've visited in that regard. As well as the moths, the birds are pretty good too.

Take this morning for example, when a goose-like call had me reaching for the telescope, through which two tiny dots in the distance materialised into a pair of Red-throated Divers, calling and displaying to each other. Black Guillemot, one of my favourite British birds, is also fairly common, along with Red-breasted Merganser, Eider and Goldeneye. We've stocked up the feeders, so tits and finches have been on the menu too. All very welcome, especially as it hasn't stopped raining since we arrived!

Male Bullfinch through the bedroom window

Female Bullfinch, ditto

Coal Tit in the garden

The Red-throated Divers were too far away to photograph until one was disturbed by a passing boat and gave a flypast

Black Guillemot - a pretty good garden bird

Woodland on the shore of Loch Creran

The view from the back garden