Martin dropped me off at the start point in Tain by 11am following a long drive including stop off for coffee at Inverness as a treat. The path guided me out of Tain and across the busy A9 through woodland and farmland down to Dornoch Bridge. I can’t say I was looking forward to walking over a long bridge. But again, my prejudice was challenged. First I saw a rather plain brown duck moving in seaweed below the bridge, but her straight forehead to beak and distinctly shaped tail made me think of an eider duck. Just as I was making a note of it a rather compelling white and black bird flew in - which I quickly realised was a male eider duck. I was pretty chuffed to have made a correct identification with the less distinct female. Having to walk for large part in the loose stone of the soft verge, this felt like a long walk but some prolonged hooting of horn made me turn around - it was Martin driving past. Towards the end of the bridge, I was excited to see a pair of common or arctic ter...