Scotland trip - part one - heading North...

The evening before we started our trip we had a family evening meal. Big mistake! While we were munching away, with phones turned off, a Ring-necked Duck turned up at our favourite reserve - ARGH!

So (day 1) the following morning we started our Scottish holiday by going to Burton, trying unsuccessfully to locate the duck - sadly it had flown overnight. However we did manage to stumble onto a pair of Grey Partridge - we'd seen them before, but usually at a distance, so very nice for them to hang around while I got a photo or two.

Grey Partridge

This an be the way of birding - sometime what you are looking for isn't there (or is in hiding!) yet there is always something interesting to see; it's a rare occurrence that a day is a complete blank!  The rest of this first day was spent travelling north - we were having to take things gentle as our transport, a battered Skoda called Betsy, had developed turbo-whine, and we were a little nervous of her making her way all the way round!

Day 2 saw us start at Musselburgh, near Edinburgh. The draw here was a Surf Scoter (, And this time we were not disappointed! I'm afraid no photos, too far off to be worthwhile, but cracking views through the scope. As well as the Surf Scoter, amongst the Common Scoter were also a number of Velvet Scoter, another new bird for us, with white wing flashes. We had a glimpse of what what looked like the American White-winged Scoter, but sadly couldn't re-find it to confirm - still two new birds for the day isn't bad,

Further offshore were a number of divers, including Red-throated and a Great Northern,  Closer in we saw a Goosander feeding on a flat fish, and several Eider (also known as Cuddy Ducks after St Cuthbert), probably the sexiest sounding ducks ever!

Goosander

Eider

From there we headed into the High;lands, making a stop at the Loch of Lowes to catch up on the resident Ospreys, and at the same time treated to a close view of a Great-crested Grebe fishing for supper.

Great-crested Grebe

After a number of stops we reached Boat of Garten, our base for a number of days, so had a quiet supper in the hide, overlooking the local loch - what a lovely way to spend an evening!

Loch Garten

Day 3 was a right mix of ups and downs....  There had been a Ring-necked duck reported on a loch near the Ythan estuary, so a chance to make up for the one missed in Burton...  So we travelled across to near Aberdeen, to find that there was no sign of it today!! Dipped again - ARGH!!

Still we got to meet up with Ythan's famous spring-time visitor. Amongst the Eider in the estuary (and there are a lot of them!) is one drake King Eider, a most colouful character, with a splendid quiff. What can you call a king with a quiff but Elvis of course ! Elvis was a little shy, so no photos this time, maybe next year!

On the way back to Boat we had a most stunning sunset from the coast - splendid. However as we journied back we became aware of another issue - a horrible loud booming noise that drowned out even the whining turbo indicated that one of the rear bearings had decided to give up the ghost - so we had to crawl back at a sedate 30mph. Sigh.....

Sunset over North-Aberdeenshire coast

Day 4 saw an emergency call to a garage in Aviemore, and we had to abandon Betsy in the hope that the bearing could be ordered/delivered/changed in a day. So with this enforced change in plans we headed up the hill into Craigellachie Nature Reserve. The woods rang with the spinning-coin call of Wood Warblers while we climbed up the path.

Craigellachie NR

 Eventually trees gave way to moorland, and I was treated to a fine view over Aviemore towards Cairngorm, with a finely balanced cairn on top - someone had clearly had fun!

As well as the singing Wood Warblers we also found a pair of Pied Flycatchers checking out a nest box, while further down we saw a pair of Chaffinches feeding young.

Pied Flycatcher

A great unplanned day, but it was with some relief that we rang the garage and found that they had exceeded our expectations, and managed to sort the bearing within the day - we were mobile again. We were warned though, 'Be careful with that turbo though, it could go any time if you stress her. Not worth the risk of trying to change it, could make it worse! Should last the trip if you're gentle'. Sigh, still slow driving, but at least it would be a lot quieter !!

Day 5 - a fine day for one of our most anticipated trips - up the side of Cairngorm. The weather was kind, but never to be taken for granted - on a previous trip we had seen the path (and everything else) disappear  in front of our eyes as a wave of snow had blown up the valley with just a minute or so's warning, so even in the sun we carried a rucksack with waterproofs and survival shelter, map and compass etc.  Thankfully this time there were no surprises. 

Red Grouse

As on previous tips we encountered Red Grouse. Ignoring their calls of 'Go back, go back' we continued up to the base of  the cliffs, where found our quarry - Ptarmigan. I confess I rather like the breeding plumage we find them in here, especially the browner females - it reminds me somewhat of the WW1 'Dazzle' camouflage used on ships. As we sat there a shadow falls over us; a peregrine glides over, and as it does so it pulled its wings in, and rapidly accelerated into a stoop, shooting across the hillside. Magical, and a splendid day, a time to let the stresses fall away.

Cairngorm

Male Ptarmigan

Male Ptarmigan

Female Ptarmigan

Day 6 saw us driving along one of our favourite lochs - usually a safe bet for divers, the loch itself was bare. However I got a glimpse of movement behind us in one of the parking places, and I see chicks - Reg Grouse chicks!! How wonderful; while I've seen many Red Grouse before I've never seen their chicks. A smart red-brown cap, and already with thick fluffy legs.

Red Grouse chick

A regular in the fields at this time of year, and very high on the cute list, young lapwing roam, parents never too far away; great little characters, and well-worth watching.

Lapwing chick

One of the animals we did miss on Cairngorm were Mountain Hares; sadly it seems the 'secret' culls have been having their sad effect; still we found this hare today - I confess I'm not sure if this is a Brown Hare or a Mountain Hare - there's a lot of white on the ears; perhaps someone who knows more could drop me a line?

The next day (7) was always going to be a long one - leaving Boat of Garten to head up to Thurso. A final walk in the local woods revealed lots of small green butterflies, I think Green Hairstreaks. We also found large mounds by the path, around 4 foot high, mounds that kind of shimmered - these are Ant cities, a mass of movement. Some of these could be 100's of years old. Sadly too many have been destroyed by people not recognising them for what they are.. The woods here are ancient and fascinating. Each time we visit we but scratch the surface. No Capercaillie seen this year, not even Crested Tits. Still, it gives an excuse for a return trip.

Green Hairstreak

Ant Mound

Wood Ants

One of the reasons for heading to Thurso was to visit RSPB Forsinard Flows on the way. This is an amazing place, one of the largest areas of bog in Europe; it looks very empty, but in reality is brimming with life, with nesting waders and hunting raptors, loads of pools, with insects and plants such as Bog Bean and Cotton Grass. I just wish we'd had longer there, and look forward to returning soon. The hide looks amazing, and yet is a really simple structure close up, with a great trail through the bog - really strange to feel huge slabs of stone bouncing as we walk on them.

Hide at RSPB Forsinard Flows

View from hide at Forsinard Flows

Surveying the bog

Bog Bean

Cotton Grass

Day 8 saw us visiting Dunnet Head, the northernmost point on Britain's mainland. Thankfully the foghorn at the lighthouse wasn't in use, and we had excellent views of the Fulmar, Guillemots, and Puffin on the cliffs below. We were less amused to find someone flying a drone over the cliffs; why anyone would feel that it is acceptable behaviour at a nature reserve is beyond me. It would have pleased us no end if a passing Skua had taken a dislike to the drone and taken it out, but sadly none did. It was also a surprise at how many people climbed over the fence saying 'Danger cliff edge' to try and get photos over the edge. The recently instituted NC500 driving route seems to have drawn all sorts of visitors, some of whom have clearly left common sense at home :-(

Dunnet Head Foghorn

Dunnet Head Lighthouse

Fulmar

Seeking quieter locations, we went first to St John's Pool, with many terns of different types; Brutish (relatively) Sandwich Terns, Common Terns, breeding Arctic Terns. While there we were told of a Marsh Warbler in the area. Well, we probably heard it, but not a chance of seeing it! Sadly another one on the 'still-to-be-seen' list! Still, a wonderful place, and well worth a visit. From there we went on to Harrow Pier. As usual, at first glance it looked empty. Given time for the eyes to settle in, and the shoreline was alive with Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Turnstone, Twite, Eider and Shag. It pays to be patient! There were good number of the Ringed Plover, and they became quite possessive of their little patches of seaweed, rushing at trespassers with heads down low and tails raised in a threat gesture.

Ringed Plover

As we explored the harbour we found this plaque, and had to do a double-take - quite why the lead guitarist of Led Zep would re-open this particular pier is not clear...

Returning back to Thurso for the night we stopped at a loch, and was treated to a private performance of a Red-throated Diver, complete with song. While not matching a Black-throated Diver for tunefulness, it certainly gave Jimmy Page a run for his money :-)

Red-throated Diver

Red-throated Diver

Red-throated Diver calling

And that's enough for this stage of the journey - next time we'll continue westward into Sunderland. As we do, what awaits us, will the weather hold, will Betsy make the journey? To be continued...

A long absence

Wow, I can hardly believe it's been four years... It's not that I've been away from birding - rather the opposite; we've spent so much time out at the weekends that I've not found time to keep this blog up to date. However I now find myself with some more time free, and I know not everyone uses Facebook, so I'm going to try and keep this blog running for now - I hope you enjoy it.

More Migrant Magic

As we move from late April into May the migration continues, with what we often regard as Summer birds beginning to appear. Into this we slide a trip 'Down South' to see family, and a chance to visit a Nightingale 'hotspot' at RSPB Pulborough Brooks.

While these famous visitors look rather drab, their song is beautiful, carrying across the reserve. Nightingales are reputed to be shy and elusive. Hmm... I guess this chap hadn't read the rule book. On at least three occasions while we were visiting this particular character posed in plain view, and relatively close in, less than 20 yards away from an appreciative audience. RSPB staff were on hand to chat and answer questions, and it was good to see a mix of birders, photographers and the more casual visitors all getting such joy from such a confiding bird.

 

Talking of confiding, again at Pulborough, this Swallow sat on a fence just feet away from a visitor's rest area, seemingly unconcerned as people came and went.

While we watched the Swallow, someone came over and said, 'there's a baby adder over here'. Well, itwasn't an adder, but a Grass Snake, and it seemed to be in trouble - it's upper jaw was inside a snail shell, while it's lower jaw seemed caught under the shell. One of the RSPB staff carefully pried the shell away, and the snake was able to slide away unharmed, giving us a demonstration of swimming at it went across the pond.

Regular readers will know of my frustration with those people who hang dog poo sacks in trees. Sadly, not even Surrey nor Sussex are immune from this curse, and it seems I'm not the only person disgusted by this habit - one common has a poster to try and get the message across....

 

 On the way back, we stopped off at London Wetland centre, a WWT site. I hesitate to recommend to anyone that they should venture inside the M25, but if you find yourself in the area, it's a lovely place to go - just make sure you allow plenty of time to appreciate the whole area. Oh, and take a pair of ear-plugs in case you meet the same 'posh' birder that we did in one of the hides. She seemed oblivious to the open windows, and addressed everyone in the hide at the same time, as if giving a lecture. LOOK, THERE'S SIX REDSHANK TOGETHER ON THAT ISLAND!!!! While there's usually no need to whisper, a soft, low voice is a a good idea; not only does it not disturb the birds. it also helps to preserve the sanity of other birders! Grrrr... Never mind, we managed to see this lovely Little Ringed Plover, it's striking markings acting as amazingly good camouflage against the stones, before we finally had to run from the hide, our ears covered!

Being in the South-east meant that we couldn't go long before hearing a strangely exotic sqawk from the skies - they're a splash of colour to us dull Northerner's, but the South-east these birds are becoming an issue - they're not native, but seem to be thriving in our slowly warming climate, and I'm told they can both be destructive of property, and have a tendency to drive out truly native birds. Still, nice to see one or two...

 

Equally colourful, but entirely native, is this Siskin, seen at Vrynwy. Vrynwy is well worth a day out; we were there a few weeks ago, and were treated to a Redstart on a fence by a farm. Be warned though, some of the woodland walks are a bit steep when you're feeling a mite unfit, Good cardiac exercise!



Returning to migrants, for the first time we've been able to pick out Garden Warblers from Blackcaps, and managed to get some sightings as a result. The song of a Garden Warbler is longer and bubblier. Of course, once you've seen the singing bird, the difference is immediately apparent, so striking are the blackcaps. The Gardens are more plain, but have a grey mark behind the heads. This example is from Pensychnant - the place to go if you want peace and quiet in North Wales on a Bank Holiday! Also heard calling was a cuckoo, sadly not seen.

 

Finally a return to local pastures, and still some more migrants. The first a female Whincat posing on a fence near the salubrious surroundings of Neston Sewage farm. Though disturbed twice by passing dog-walkers, she clearly liked this fence, returning each time. While watching from a distance, I became aware of a movement much closer, barely 5 yards away; a Wheatear was scuttling across right in fron of me, and quite happy to stop and pose for a few moments... The last is a Whitethroat; the scrub behind the sewage farm was alive with this charismatic bird, all finding convenient bush-top perches from which to loudly proclaim their territories

Finally a brief note; there have been complaints in the media of over-enthusiastic birders and photographers using tape-luring - playing back calls of birds in order to provoke a territorial display. For the record, I don't use tape-luring, and the majority of my photos are taken from a distance using maximum zoom.

Migrant Magic

A quick update to keep you going. Early morning walks around several local sites brought a series of warbler sightings. These are all distance shots, and the quality is not good, but I was pleased just to see the variety.

This chap is a Grasshopper Warbler -  quite often heard, but can be hard to find. As the name suggests, they sounds remarkably like grasshoppers, just at a lower pitch.

Just as loud, and sounding like a bunch of arguing children, Sedge Warblers can be found scolding away in reed beds. Sedge have a bright eyebrow stripe.

 The warbler is called a Whitethroat - can you see why!  These will often be found at the highest point of bushes and trees, while their smaller cousins, the Lesser Whitethroat, is a lot harder to spot, usually skulking around lower bushes and brambles.

 A slightly better shot of a Blackcap - I find these a real challenge to find; they seem very nervous at this time of year.

Moving on from the Warblers, the Whinchat has also been passing through, often sitting, as here, on fences.

Also passing through are Yellow Wagtails, usually found in paddocks, following around behind horses. These beautifully marked birds come in a variety of forms that help the expert identify where they originated. Beyond my capability, but a pleasure to see nonetheless.

The final migrant comes without a photo, though an excellent one can be found here, a Night Heron that has been found locally. A secretive bird, it has brought a fine collection of local birders trying to get a glimpse of it, and a chance to swap storeies and make contacts while waiting for it to fly in from it's daytime roost.