cliftonbirding

Thursday, 5 May 2011

Scotland Day 3

Up early again this morning for Martin to see the Capercaillie lek, just a single bird again showing in the same area as yesterday although it was a more restricted angle for viewing today, fortunately another birder managed to get his scope on it and we got a view of it fully out in open this time, we then went back round to Tulloch Moor where three male Black Grouse were displaying and flying around also a couple of Cuckoos calling here, stopped again where we saw the Crested Tits yesterday and eventually found them again although they remained higher in the trees today, a Red Squirrel was around again and at one point fell out of a tree although it soon recovered and shot back up again. After breakfast we headed for Carrbridge where we had been given a site for Crossbills, a Hooded Crow was just outside the village as we left, we had a good wander around the site seeing Redstart and Tree Pipit but still no Crossbills, they seem to be a bit thin on the ground at this time of year. It was up to Cairngorm next and we took the Funicular up to the restaurant and watched from the terrace for a while, a couple of Ptarmigans and a few Wheatears were showing, an Osprey was a surprise as it flew past but no sign of any Dotterels today, three had been seen from here a couple of days ago. We dropped back down to Loch Morlich but a Bank Holiday weekend coupled with good weather meant it was very busy and we saw nothing better than a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers, so we headed round to Loch an Eilein where we had been told of some Wood Warblers near the turn off for the Loch, at least two birds were singing there this afternoon. Ended the day with a drive along the tracks through Abernethy Forest to Forest Lodge but it was very quiet, highlights were a couple of Redstarts and some Green Hairstreak butterflies.

another early morning shot of Loch Garten

the Spey above Boat of Garten

a bit hazy but you could see Ben Nevis in the distance

Cairngorm scenics

Loch Morlich from above

and from ground level

Loch Pityoulish

Green Hairstreak near Forest Lodge

Wednesday, 4 May 2011

Scotland Day 2

Me Mark and Andy (Martin wasn’t feeling well) were up early and out to Loch Garten for the Capercaillie lek this morning, one showed but like 3 years ago it was a distant and obscured view, we then had another quick look at the site where we saw Parrot Crossbills last time, there was a male Redstart there and Tree Pipits singing but no Crossbills so it was on to Tulloch Moor where we saw two male Black Grouse at the lek there. On the way back for breakfast we stopped to try and photograph a couple of Red Squirrels just after we passed the Loch Garten car park and were pleased to find a pair of Crested Tits there and a bit further up the road a couple of birders were watching a family party of Crossbills but they proved to be just common. After breakfast we decided to go up to Burghead and try for the White Billed Diver(s) reported from there in recent days calling first at a flash just outside the Boat of Garten where there was a Slavonian Grebe, at Burghead we met a couple of birders who had scanned the area without success and in fact had been talking to a local birder who watched the area every day and said he hadn’t seen any Divers of any kind let alone up to five White Billed, now a bit dubious of the earlier reports we headed along the coast to Portsoy where the one there had been reported yesterday, a scan from the 17th century harbour wall found a good selection of seabirds including some Long Tailed Ducks and a Great Skua on the sea but no Divers. We gave up early afternoon and headed back to the Findhorn Valley via Lochindorb, a pair of Black Throated Divers were nesting here again although they were distant on the other side of the Loch but no Red Throated seen, a lot of Red Grouse and Wheatears on the surrounding moorland. We spent the rest of the afternoon down Findhorn stopping just before the end the road by the Creag Fhionnlaidh and in glorious sunshine we were entertained by several Buzzards, a territorial pair of Kestrels and an Osprey that was fishing along the river then flew overhead then around 4-30pm Andy got on a Golden Eagle flying from the head of the valley, it flew towards us then off to the right where we lost it behind the hills then a few minutes later we couldn’t believe our luck as it came out over the nearby crag being mobbed by a Buzzard and a Raven, quite high up but great views in the superb light, we checked out a couple of woodland areas on the way back but nothing more of note was seen.

Loch Garten early morning

Black Grouse at Tulloch Moor

also Red Deer there

the Red Squirrels just wouldn't keep still

but nice to find these

17th century Harbour at Portsoy

Lochindorb

one of the Black Throated Divers on the nest

Common Sandpiper at Lochindorb

crags near Lochindorb

Findhorn Valley scenics

Mountain Goats and Red Deer on the Crag

the Osprey

and the very high Golden Eagle

a Dipper on one of the tributaries

Scotland Day 1

A weekend trip to Speyside in Scotland with Mark, Andy and Martin, we set off early on Friday and headed straight up to Glen Shee on the Eastern side of the Cairngorms, plenty of Buzzards seen en route and a scan from the Ski centre there soon found our target species, Ptarmigan, a bird seen on the top of a nearby ridge, also a Raven flew over plus plenty of Red Grouse and a pair of Ring Ouzel there. We carried on around the top of the range and dropped back down to Grantown Forest, a short walk into the forest proved fairly quiet although we managed to locate a pair of Scottish Crossbills as we headed back. It was on to Loch Garten next but the reserve was closing as we arrived, we got the information about the Capercaillies for in the morning though, we had a look at a site nearby where we had seen Parrot Crossbills 3 years ago but no sign of any today then took a walk down to Loch Malachie but again fairly quiet, then headed off to Boat of Garten where we were staying.