SCOTLAND: NETHYBRIDGE, SPEYSIDE 29/03/07 - 03/04/07
Set off on the drive to Nethybridge at 1.45pm after work. Drive took 6 hrs. which must be the quickest we’ve done it in. Shared a portion of fish & chips from our favourite chippy in Aviemore (opp. the fish farm on the main road). As we approached Aviemore we watched a buzzard and a crow having a conversation on the ground in a field.
Booked into our guest house where we were staying for 5 nights: Tigh na Fraoch, opposite the playing field as you approach the village. We stayed here last year and it is now a 4-star establishment. An excellent base, and very reasonable rates. Good food and plenty of it.
30th March
Weather was dull all day but not cold. Drove to Grantown-on-Spey then onto Lochindorb where we saw lots of red grouse at close quarters. On the loch itself were greylag geese, b/h gull and cormorant. Back to the A9 where we called at the Tomatin distillery for a bottle of single malt – I felt quite decadent sipping whisky at 11.00 am even though the lady there insisted we had a dram!
Then my favourite drive (in the world?!) down Findhorn Valley. Visibility wasn’t excellent but we managed to see lots of the wild goats, red deer, kestrel, ravens, buzzard,skylark, meadow pipit, lapwing and oystercatchers, which we saw everywhere – the first had been a pair perched on a fence-post at the side of the A9 yesterday. Had a lone fieldfare in a field (where else?) blackbird & robin. Then kestrel, ravens & buzzard were seen from the carpark at the end of the road but cloud was a bit low to see much sky. The ravens were on the hill to the right as you face the head of the valley. We then drove onto the Farr road – the first time ever I haven’t had to open the gates – they were propped open.
Reached Loch Ruthven, which I think must be one of the prettiest lochs in Scotland. As we made our way down the track we had to be very careful not to tread on toads – they were everywhere. Thought they would be a bit clammy to the touch but when I picked one up it was quite warm and the ‘warts’ on its back weren’t knobbly. No wonder it didn’t move at first when put it down – the shock must have been terrible. But I won’t do it again now I know what one feels like! As we approached the hide, still stepping carefully over toads, I spotted a treecreeper (that’ll teach Bob racing off ahead of me – he missed it!) From the hide we were lucky to see a pair of Slavonian grebes and a separate female. Also a couple of pairs of goldeneye.
On a lochan at the side of the road after we’d left Loch Ruthven behind we saw mallard and tufted duck. Then 5 ravens. Drove back the same way and re-joined the road out of the Findhorn Valley. We didn’t stop at lay-by 151 for ring ouzels – thought it was a bit early. But then later read that ring ouzels are one of the first spring migrants to arrive so perhaps that was a wrong decision. We looked in the forest on both sides of the road as we approached Carrbridge but didn’t see any capers today. There were the usual goldeneye on Loch Garten as we approached. While Bob inspected the inside of his eyelids I walked one of the numerous forest tracks until it started drizzling.
31st March
Straight to Tulloch Moor after breakfast (block & tackle was necessary to raise us from the breakfast table!) We neither saw nor heard black grouse but it was glorious up there – a lovely morning. Leaving the road and walking along the track onto the moor, Bob was far in front as usual, and I saw a redstart dashing across the track into the bottom of a gorse bush. I didn’t think it had gone out of the other side but 5 mins. watching brought no results. As we scanned the heather moor, I looked further afield and I think I was looking at one end of Loch Garten. A bird flapped leisurely across the band of trees and it really did shout ‘osprey’ but at this point none had been seen in the area so I’m not calling this a definite tick. Called on at our friend’s house on the road to Forest Lodge and had half an hour with her – arranged to go out on Monday night with them. Then to the RSPB Visitor Centre which was opening tomorrow for the season. I had hoped to walk from the car park to the centre even though it was closed, as someone had told us they’d seen crested tit on the feeder the day before. But there was a notice on the fence asking us not to progress further in case we disturbed any ospreys that might be showing interest in the nest.
So we drove to Forest Lodge and walked from there for a couple of hours. We had coal tit, chaffinch, great tit and buzzard. There wasn’t much sound in the forest at all. Then back up to Tulloch Moor where we sat quietly for an hour in the warm sunshine – the silence was amazing – just the occasional call of a buzzard or curlew. (We had a sparrowhawk today but I can’t remember where).
1st April
Although there had been an early capercaillie watch at the RSPB centre at Loch Garten today they had closed when that was over and they don’t re-open until 10.00am – we arrived as the staff was arriving at 9.40am. One caper had been heard that morning but it was misty so it wasn’t seen. We didn’t want to hang around for half an hour so we set off for our drive to the Black Isle. Low tide at Munlochy Bay and there were lots of waders to be seen through the ‘scope, including curlew, redshank, lapwing, godwit along with shelduck, teal b/h gull and herring gull. In a tree at the side of the bench we were sitting on a yellowhammer was singing, but not the usual song that I’m familiar with – just a sort of monotonous chirping. After about 10 mins. drive we spotted two red kites which were soon joined by another – really good views in the brightness of the morning. Leaving the kites behind, we soon spotted a peregrine.
At Chanonry Point the sun was very strong and the tide was ‘slack’(or was it ‘loose’ ? I’ve forgotten) Watched for a while but no dolphins were seen. Nobody there had seen them that morning. A couple of great skuas flew in off the sea; a little auk (?) was distant on the sea with 3 cormorants and, we thought, a pair of great crested grebes.
At Udale Bay were mallard, lapwing, shelduck, b/h gulls and a large flock of pinkfoot geese.
As we drove back towards the A9 another kite gave good views, especially through the sun-roof as we went underneath it.
Because it was such a lovely day we thought we’d give the Findhorn Valley another go. Had 3 redwings flying up into the lower branches of a tree about a third of the way along the valley. Then about three quarters of the way up – where there’s a big gully over on the left hand side where you can see the mountains beyond – we saw something soaring high up. We stopped and it was soon followed by another bird that was hassling it. It was our first – and only – golden eagle of the holiday ( come on now, let’s not be greedy! One is as good as a feast!) and the other bird was a buzzard which looked so small compared with the huge raptor. From the car park we then had another single buzzard, a pair of noisy ravens, a peregrine and lots of wild goats with kids.
1st April
On Monday we decided to stay local and thoroughly explore. Went to the RSPB centre first and was showing our passes when Helen, the helpful RSPB lady, said a capercaillie was showing to the camera at that moment. We rushed up the track to the centre and sure enough the live camera was showing film of one bird partly hidden at the base of a tree out towards the osprey nest. We were shown towards the telescope by the boss and saw the bird in varying degrees of clarity. At one point it preened and we could see the red above its eyes and it’s huge white beak.
At this point the osprey nest was vacant.
Up onto Tulloch Moor again where we didn’t see grouse but it is such a lovely drive. Back to the visitor centre where Helen again told us no ospreys had been seen. They thought Orange VS had been looking at the nest from above but hadn’t landed. Went to the other car park then and did the circular walk down by Loch Garten and Loch Malachie. We saw crested tits last year on this walk and although at one point I thought I heard one, nothing was seen, except lots of chaffinches.
We drove to the car park of the funicular railway up Cairngorm and scanned for anything that might be about – which wasn’t much! On the way back we called at a lay-by on the left hand side of the road between Loch Morlich and Rothiemurcus visitor centre and walked a track down to the river. (Gordon Hamlett’s book gave us this information – supposedly a good place for crested tits, but again we missed out on them. Gordon’s book was really useful the whole time and we wouldn’t dream of going to Scotland without it. )
On to the fish farm then – it was 4.00pm. We thought if any ospreys were in the area they would probably come here for supper. After 15 mins. we spotted one flapping slowly towards us over by the big white hotel in the trees. It didn’t veer our way but continued parallel to the trees and away from Aviemore. Another hour later – I’d gone to sit at the picnic tables by now – and Bob called to me: there was an osprey circling the ponds. It came quite close but didn’t make any attempt to fish – just looked down at the ponds and flew slowly off. I suppose it would be coming back after the families had left at closing time (5.30). Apparently the place closes then – to everyone. We used to be able to enter the fishing areas after closing time – maybe not any more. But Helen, at the Visitor Centre, said you can sit on the platform of the railway station in the evening and watch the ospreys if they’re there – and you don’t get ‘midged’ either!
Met our friends from Tulloch in the evening for a meal at the Cairngorm Hotel – it looked very grand inside but the prices were very sensible. We can highly recommend this establishment.
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(Please forgive any 'personal' mentions, but I no longer edit my version and just post it on here as is.) I notice that the bird names haven't been highlighted in this version, as they were on mine. Never mind - don't know what to do about that. Maybe someone can advise me for next time.
Sandra
