Diver(?) - Firth of Forth, Scotland (1 Viewer)

[Richg32]

Hi - took a huge number of photos to try to get at least a few that could help with ID of this bird - apologies for the appalling quality - long distance, poor light, heavily cropped (but otherwise unedited), taken through a grubby window that couldn't be opened. Taken 1st May 8.30am near Lower Largo in Fife - the bird was 50-100m offshore. I'm thinking probably Red-throated Diver based on the following:

• not a grebe - wrong neck shape, wrong habitat?
• some of the photo artefacts suggest colour which I doubt was related to the bird
• upward-pointing bill suggests Red-throated?
• lack of "peaking" on the top of the head suggests Red-throated?
• BUT white at rear (in a couple of photos) suggests Black-throated?

I have no experience of divers so any help (if poss with ID pointers) would be very welcome - thank you !

(I have other photos I'll put in a separate post which were taken at a different time and I think are probably a different bird)

 

[Southern Viking]

It's a Red-throated. All of the divers can show some white on flanks when they're riding high enough in the water, but the head details you mentioned (plus the amount of white on the face/around the eye) ID it as R-tD

 

[Richg32]

It's a Red-throated. All of the divers can show some white on flanks when they're riding high enough in the water, but the head details you mentioned (plus the amount of white on the face/around the eye) ID it as R-tD

Thanks Southern Viking - that's really helpful.