Last week..
I was doing some bird surveys in the Highlands. Plenty of dumps of snow which was very scenic but also very cold. No Gyrs or Snowy Owls but a superb Adult Golden Eagle was the first I've seen for some time. Also on the last day I was up there the snow showers fizzled out and in clear calm conditions three Adult GBB Gulls were seen flying over the mountains to the NW having presumably started inland from the E coast along the Dornoch Firth; my first 'spring migration'.

On my way back I stopped at a very promising view point where I had a distant probable Goshawk the week before. No raptors this time but 8 presumed Scottish Crossbill flew in and landed in tree tops by the roadside. These were large billed birds but seemingly lacking the extreme muscular head and neck of parrots. The only fool proof way to be certain on the Crossbill complex in Scotland is to hear the 'toop toop' excitement call which in this case sounded  right for Scottish; delivered at a slow pace.
The birds were fairly distant but I managed to digiscope a female before they moved on...

Bill looks too deep based for Common Crossbill and the excitement calls were a good match for Scottish rather than Parrot.

Today..a late afternoon visit to Angle Park, Fife produced plenty of Herring Gulls on the ice. With them a few argentatus including this stonking adult. As we approach spring it's started to lose the head streaking but as well as looking big and fierce, it's very dark mantled and has loads of white in the primaries.