Seal pup. This one was a couple of miles astray of a colony that lays-up on a sandbar on the other side of the Moray Firth. Not so safe where it was, as walkers with dogs sometimes come by, and the many rocks conceal their approach... especially if you're as this one was, sound asleep! I'm not sure which of us had the bigger surprise, when I came across it.

Was out for one of my favourite local walks, from Rosemarkie. Despite the cold and frost, there are some signs of Spring: spotted my first primroses on a sheltered south-facing bank - they're always early there. A Raven flying in to a likely nesting spot with a stick.

A Peregrine flew around nearby for a while. Long enough to give me the opportunity to explain some of the differences between it, and the Sparrowhawk a couple of walkers had thought it was. It didn't seem at all bothered by our presence.