Just had a rather successful trip to Scotland. My other half had to go to London Monday to Wednesday so a friend and I hatched a cunning plan to go to Scotland birding. It was rather intensive as you will see but we got all the species we were after, bar one...
Monday
Left the Sheffield area at 10.30 am and drove to Aviemore via Irvine. Dipped on King Eider despite searching for 2 hours. Sat in a gale with a very rough sea and sand blowing across. We ended up like a pair of sand snowmen. Didn't do too much for the optics either!
Tuesday
Up at 4.40am. By 5.30 we were at Loch Garten, seeing a couple of Roe Deer on the way. 1 male Capercaille lekking to 2 females in front of the Osprey Centre was the reward. The first lifer of the trip for us both. Several red squirrel, common crossbill and the ospreys were also present. We spent time at Loch Garten walking the trail to Loch Mallachie but couldn't rustle up a Crested Tit. We went to a couple of other possible sites, again with no success though.
At noon, we arrived at the carpark at Cairngorm. We had spoken to several people in advance and I'd been given some excellent advice on the forum about possible sites. We decided, given the time available, we would do the walk to Coire an Lochain. Got fantastic views of ptarmigan as well as getting Mountain Hare and snow bunting (and even Reindeer!). The weather was crappy on the way up and back but while we watched the Ptarmigan, the snow/rain/hail stopped, the sun came out and even the wind died back! 2nd lifer for us both and the abiding memory of the whole trip.
3-4pm. Went back to Loch Garten. 2 male Black Grouse flew across the road on route (3rd lifer for Jason) and just as we were ambling back to the car at the Osprey Centre in an absent minded kind of way, a Crested Tit popped out above Jason's head! Jason's fourth new bird and a bit of a relief.
4-6pm. With a bit if time to kill and now a lack of pressure, we headed to Grantown on Spey woods where rather unexpectedly we very quickly got excellent views of Scottish Crossbills. Lifer number 5 for Jason and we were well and truly on a roll!
7.30 - 11pm. Time now for a bit of mammal watching at the Speyside Wildlife Hide. It was very windy but we got Pine Martin about two feet away as well as 2 Badger to the same distance. Both feeding on peanuts and peanut butter! Also 34 Red Deer and a wood mouse put in an appearance. A 'must do' Highland experience if ever there was one.
Finally got to bed just before midnight. In all we were up just over 19 hours!
Wednesday
Returned home via Ruddens Point in Fife where we eventually got a drake Surf Scoter in amongst all the other sea ducks, divers etc. Very much a case of patiently scanning for small parties of Velvet Scoter and checking them for the surfie. Jason's sixth new bird and my third of the trip. The only downside was I lost my mobile phone so if any one heads out to Ruddon's Point and instead of skylark, hears an unmistakable ringing sound, please rescue it! I'd love to get it back.
Got back to the Sheffield area at 6pm having done 970 miles. And I was only 40 minutes late meeting my other half from the station!
91 species of bird seen on the trip plus an excellent mammal list of 11 (if you include the Reindeer!)
Stayed at Fraoch Lodge in Boat of Garten (www.scotmountain.co.uk) and can recommend it as an excellent base, especially for Loch Garten and the Capercaille.
Many thanks to everyone who helped with tips on ptarmigan before we went.
Matthew
Sounds good. Was it the female pine marten with a bit missing from her ear? I was there a couple of weeks ago. I thaught is was brilliant!
Yes it was - they've called her 'Nicky' due to the nick in her ear.
She was looking a bit thin so they think she has got young. On one evening last year they had 11 Pine Martins at the hide (2 females with their young). They couldn't leave for ages because the young were playing on the roof!
Matthew