FROM dolphins splashing off Chanonry Point on the Black Isle, to barn owls swooping over fields near Gifford, the weekend brought a range of treats for wildlife watchers.
The Scotsman's quarterly nature survey, which is supported by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, came to an end on Monday, with readers sending in their photographs and reports.
The details will be passed on to Biological Recording in Scotland (Brisc), which will distribute the records among its network of local record centres and biological recorders.
It's not too late to send in your sightings – see the panel, right, for more details. Thank you to everyone who took part: here are more of your sightings.
OUR resident barn owl hunts in our silage fields every dry night just as dusk falls. He hovered a few metres in the air just yards from us – what a beautiful sight. At Lauder, in my parents' garden, we were entertained with woodpeckers being fed by their parents.
Wendy Pate
Gifford, East Lothian
ON SUNDAY, during a walk from Blair Atholl via Glen Tilt to Beinn Mheadhonach, with Blairgowrie and District Hillwalking Club, we saw: at Gilbert's Bridge, a peregrine falcon hanging in the wind above the trees, to the great alarm of the small birds, and then diving down out of sight (there were several jays in the area); at a small bridge, a grey heron and wheatears; on the ridge of Beinn Mheadhonach, a parcel of about 30 red deer and several meadow pipits parachuting; at the summit, golden plover; and all through the walk, which was very wet in the morning but gradually brightened throughout the day, the variety of flowers was impressive. In Glen Tilt, red and white campion, herb robert, cranesbill, wild garlic, knapweed, golden bedstraw, speedwell, forget-me-not were all seen, and, on the hill, heath bedstraw, tormentil, milkwort, butterwort, cross-leaved heath, bell heather, blaeberries, chickweed wintergreen, bog cotton. A good day out.
Rob Robertson
Blairgowrie, Perthshire
SAW dolphins at Chanonry Point and crested tits, red squirrels and a treecreeper on Rothiemurchus Estate, near Aviemore. Spotted Slavonian grebes and an osprey at Loch Ruthven.
Fiona Kilgour
Melrose
HOW TO JOIN INIT'S not too late to send your records and photographs to The Scotsman Wildlife Watch.
To be helpful, your record should include the name of the species, the date you saw it and where you saw it (including a postcode or six-figure grid reference where possible).
You should also include your name and contact details.
Records can be e-mailed to
or posted to: Wildlife Watch, The Scotsman, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.
The records will be passed on to Brisc and distributed among its local record centres.
The details may be used in conservation work. A selection of readers' notes and pictures will appear in The Scotsman. Look out for more this week.
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