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The bird hide at Tomintoul Dark Skies Site. The hide over looks a large area of wetland and damp fields crossed by the Tomintoul Circular path - a lovely grassy track - overlooking a favoured breeding site for peewits - more formally -lapwings.

Today we saw several pairs of handsome adult lapwings on the ground - many with tiny almost fluffy chicks close by. At one point the adults rose into the air and gave a display of their tumbling, wheeling flight and plangent call.

The other star of our walk was a snipe - first heard then seen sitting on a fence post. We got an excellent view of his subtly marked plumage and long straight bill.

We also saw oystercatchers, a reed bunting, a skylark and the first swallow which proverbially will not make summer.