I feel like my cake's been iced two

Yes, that was a comment I received on yesterday's Red-breasted Goose (with a minor spelling alteration) and it is entirely appropriate for today's outing.

Up at six and out by seven are not popular words with Mrs L, but today we wanted to get up to the Ythan Estuary to search for a King Eider that had been reported a few days ago. Well by 9:30 we were viewing a large flock of Common Eiders, scanning for the elusive King Eider, but with no luck. Eiders really are a gorgeous sea duck and they make a soothing cooing call during communal courtship, so it was absolutely no hardship to spend around three hours wandering up and down the Ythan, even if there was no King Eider.

Lunch in the car then we decided to head further north to the RSPB's reserve at Loch of Strathbeg where the highlights were Garganey, Marsh Harrier, Ruff, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits and after all my recent hunting for Tree Sparrows, yup, Tree Sparrows!

Anyway an exceedingly fine day, time to head home, but wouldn't it be daft not to just look in at the Ythan Estuary on the way passed. As you can see from today's photo we weren't daft - A gorgeous King Eider - I feel like my cake's been iced two!

Go LARGE - I absolutely insist.