Braemar, Glenshee & Thereaboots!

A Saturday wedding at the Craigendarroch meant we were in the right area for some great mountain species.

Sunday morning at Inver had little about but a mile or two on we had tree pipit and mistle thrush. Further on at Glen Lui we had a good number of crossbill, maybe even Scottish crossbill? Couldn't call it but maybe somebody can hazard a guess based on this photo I took below of a smart male?
Plenty of siskin about, goldcrest heard, no raptors though.

On to Glenshee, no chairlift running so scope put to use and we have some mountain hare and ptarmigan near the summit with a few red grouse lower down the slopes.  A slow run back towards Braemar and red deer everywhere and we count approximately 300 in 4 different herds. Prolonged scanning above the mountain tops is needed to finally get some raptors and we enjoy watching a         (presumably male and female) peregrine displaying to each other. Buzzard, kestrel and raven are quickly added and a bit lower down we have a mocking red grouse, challenging us to take his photo.

Glen Callater car park, step out the car and a male ring ouzel is sitting in a tree across the road...never been that easy there before! A 20 minute walk and wander about and we see another RO as well as a whitethroat and a pair of wheatear.

Posing Red Grouse

Male crossbill - Scottish?