Scotland Weekend, April 2019 - Day One

In 2015 Al Orton and I made the trip north for a Scotland weekend based largely around the over-wintering Harlequin on the River Don in Aberdeen. We also caught up with the Ythan drake King Eider and made a quick raid to Speyside (of which the highlight was an unexpected close, if brief, encounter with a male Capercaillie on the trail). Despite seeing some good birds, it was too brief a visit. I really should go for a week sometime.

So when Al suggested a trip up again for a long weekend it seemed like a good idea and plans were hatched. Andy C, Jono and latterly Dan Pointon were recruited and Andy kindly sorted logistics.

Jono travelled over from France in the evening of 25th, so as I had to wait for his late arrival I decided to spend the late afternoon in the company of three Dotteral on the Great Orme. I hadn’t seen a Pringle bird for some years and knew we were too early to see them on the Cairngorms spit seemed a perfect opportunity to reacquaint with these wonderful birds. There were two males and a female, and as ever they were marvellously tame on their temporary passage habitat. Choughs and Ravens flew around as I watched and a quick look offshore revealed a few Guillemots, Razorbills  and Shags. Heading back to Manchester airport I collected Mssr Williams and I made the long overnight drive to Speyside to meet up with the others at dawn on Friday 26th. It was an uneventful journey and I grabbed some sleep as Jono dodged Red Deer along the A9.

We met with the others at Feshiebridge as the sun rose, then wandered along the forest tracks against a backdrop of singing Tree Pipits and Common Crossbills. In no time at all, a male Capercaillie flushed from a tree and back in our direction, giving a good flypast view. Excellent!

Heading off for breakfast, we stopped for a few minutes at Loch Insh where an Osprey pair were around their island nest, 6 Whooper Swans were on the loch along with Goosander and Goldeneyes.

Beautiful Loch Insh

 Refuelled and caffeinated, we dropped bags at our Aviemore digs then next stop was nearby Avielochan where the pair of Slavonian Grebes showed remarkably well before an unsuccessful eagle watch was hampered by the weather, although we did add Dipper to the list along the route. Lochindorb was next, but the hoped for breeding plumage Black-throated Divers were disappointingly distant. Displaying Common Sandpipers and a tame male Red Grouse were the only other birds of note.

 

 

Heading north we made a few roadside stops, with the highlight  being a Common Gull colony, although they are really lovely birds and I enjoyed watching them for a while.

 

Heading north to the coast we had a look for the famously distant Nairn King Eider to no avail, but there were good numbers of Long-tailed Ducks and Eiders as compensation. A couple of hundred Sandwich Terns were around and offshore Gannets, Fulmars and Kittiwakes all notched, along with a few Bar-tailed Godwits. The highlight here, though, was a female and calf Bottlenose Dolphin which showed well and close from the harbour wall.

Heading further east to Burghead (site of the famous 1994 Grey-tailed Tattler - my last visit here!), Andy quickly picked up an immaculate breeding plumage White-billed Diver. It was mid-range but gave decent views in excellent light and calm conditions - what a bird! A much closer breeding plumage Red-throated Diver was present along with small numbers of auks, as expected, but a female Marsh Harrier coming in off the sea was a real surprise. Andy excelled himself again by picking up a second WBD a little further along the coast and worthy of a drive around in the hope it was close - and it was!! This one was also immaculately plumaged and it gave stunning views at perhaps 250-300m, even down to the red eye. What a bird and something I'd always wanted to see. An equally immaculate Black-throated diver was also present, along with the usual eiders, auks and long-tailed ducks, and a Harbour Porpoise passed by. Onshore several Barn Swallows passed through, a pair or Bullfinches sat nicely and Yellowhammers rattled away in the sunshine.

 

Heading back west, nearby Roseisle Woodland quickly provided us with an easy Crested Tit, before we had another bash for the Nairn King Eider without success. Time to head back for a beer and a curry, stopping only for a chance encounter with 3 male Black Grouse in a roadside field.

 

Some day. Beers and curry in the pub. Sleep.