Apr 122012
This years trip to the Scottish Highlands certainly had a wintery feel about it.
We had heavy over night snow Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights and a light sprinkling Sunday night with Monday being a superb morning, just as we were leaving. Oh well as they say. Nevertheless, the weather did not deter us and we managed to see all the specialities, with the exception of Sea Eagle & Ptarmigan. The weather was simply against us for these two species. We did have plenty of sunshine in the lower Glens but at Monroe altitudes there was persistent snow cloud and poor visibility making it impossible for seeking out Ptarmigan.
We have had a game plan for many years that has achieved our goals and this year was the first time we were forced to make changes. When visiting this region of Scotland and when one has a limited amount of time, it is vital to have a game plan.
It took three early morning visits to the RSPB Loch Garten Capercaillie Watch before we saw one of these spectacular birds. The Capercaillie is only just holding on in Scotland. The population is fragile to say the least and the RSPB encourage birders not to be irresponsible and go off wandering the forests at early dawn. At this time of year the birds are lekking and unnecessary disturbance will dramatically affect the ritual of mating. A male was lekking and on constant view on camera but from the hide it was impossible to see the bird. However a second male was around from time to time and it was this bird that we eventually had good views of from the hide. Around the Abernethy area we saw Crested Tit, Scottish Parrot Crossbill, Parrot Crossbill, Black Grouse, Slavonian Grebe, Goldeneye, Woodcock and Osprey. The usual locations that are now fairly well known to visiting birders produced the birds.
On Friday the 13th April we had a superb day in the North West along what we call the Beinn Eighe Loop. We had a flock of 16 Whooper Swans drop into Loch Achanalt. On various Lochs we had Black & Red Throated Divers, Red Breasted Mergansers & a brief view of an adult Golden Eagle quartering the high ridges of the Beinn Eighe National Park. At Gairloch we found Gannet, Razorbill & Guillemot and a singing Willow Warbler & Chiffchaff. However the best bird of the trip we found on Loch Ewe, near Poolewe, a fine winter plumaged White Billed Diver. No sooner had we found this, we discovered close by a full summer plumaged Great Northern Diver, 4 Common Scoter and a summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe. Heading back over the moors we had a pair of Bonxie.
On the 15th April we spent most of the morning in the Findorn Valley. A favourite place of ours and we were not disappointed. We soon had good views of 2 immature Golden Eagle. Very few other raptors. A few Northern Wheatear had only just started to arrive. The afternoon we spent at a nearby RSPB Reserve watching Slavonian Grebes and a couple of Red Throated Divers.
Very few migrants were seen over the weekend. A few Willow Warbler, Northern Wheatear, Sand Martin, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Common Sandpiper and the first time I have seen Tree Pipit in the snow !!
On the last day I managed something I have longed to do – get a decent shot of a Red Squirrel !!!
A total of 93 species over the weekend and my year list moves on to 177
IMAGES – No:1 & No:2 Loch Mallachie / No:3 Abernethy Forest / No:4 & 5 Adult Black-headed Gull / No:6 Adult Common Gull / No:7 Loch Garten / No:8 Summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe / No:9 Male Siskin / No:10, 11, 12, 13 Red Grouse / No:14 Red-throated Diver / No:15 , 16, 17 Red Squirrel.
