Hopeless in the Highlands Part 1

Base camp for this trip is a cottage in Tomintoul (highest village in the highlands – just saying). Day one started well. Breakfast at 5, then we had to de-ice the inside of the car – twice. Then off to caper-watch at Loch Garten. 

Spotted a couple of black grouse on the way across, then rolled into the car park with the sun barely up and made our way up to the hide. Stopped for a quick shuftie at the feeders first. Bang. Crested tit. Off the mark.

Tick!

Unfortunately, when we got into the hide the dawn patrol informed us that a female caper had flown across the screens just after first light, but hadn't been seen since. EJ was on the nest, but the fog was so thick we could only see his silhouette. So we spent our time enjoying a hot chocolate and long views of the crested tit, siskin, greater spotted woodpecker and red squirrel.

I wouldn't complain about one of these nicking from my feeders!

After being kicked out at 8 we headed for second breakfast in Granton. Then, thoroughly refreshed, headed back toward Nethy Bridge. A wander through the woods at the kirk gave us another 50 odd chaffinch, gold crest and a couple of treecreeper. 

The light through the trees was magic.

After another quick snack,we nipped back to Loch Garten for a proper view of the ospreys. Bumped into Jen, one of the group that went ringing on Little Cumbrae, who's now volunteering on the osprey project. She pointed us in the direction of Forest Lodge - a really great site and well worth a longer explore than we were able to give it. We also found  a cracking little toad!

Most. Determined. Toad. Ever.

By 3 we were shattered, so we headed off to the Glenlivet distillery. Stoat, red grouse, grey and red-legged partridge en route. Then, 50 minutes later and 3 bottles better off, Reeve’s pheasant on the way home (yeah I know it’s not a qualifying tick, but a cracking looking bird).

Cracker!

Blink and you'll miss him

In the end, not a bad day, 6 more birds for the year list and one life tick. Back to Loch Garten tomorrow to try for capercallie and crossbills again, then off to Cairngorm Plateau for a chance of ptarmigan. But, for now a little whisky and an early night.

"Normal" service has been resumed.

It been all quiet on the western front over the winter, I know. There hasn't been that much to report. 

But, with the longer days upon us and me being on a fitness kick, I've been out of the house with the camera a lot more. I may not be sharp enough between 5 and 7 am to get beautiful wildlife shots, but there are some great views to be had.

Arran at sunset

Blurry Bute at 6 30 am

Arran at 7 am

One reason I've not been posting was that over winter, I wasn't the Naturalist Blonde - autumn brought a flush of winter/non-breeding plumage (ornithologically speaking) - I was the most un-natural blue.

Another cause of the posting slow down was the loss of my long lens, resulting in fewer pretty pictures to show you. On the plus side, I spent a lot more time looking at the the birds, and that's always a bonus in my eyes!

Anyway, I'm back now, with some big trips and plenty of birding planned for the new year. The coming month should include Spurn, Arran and Ailsa Craig, followed by Egypt, Mull, and Portugal later in the year. 

The Blonde Birders will also be back in action - touring the country; keep your eyes open for guest posts from black-country birder, Thomas Christian. 

Having said all that, today Cumbrae is subject to gusting wind and blizzards, so you might have to wait a little longer for new posts. Hope your weather is better than ours!

 

Happy Birding!

Updates

Right, year list-wise I'm still a bit behind where I'd like to be; 96 species, topped up in the last few days by hen harrier and purple sandpiper amongst others. Hopefully I'll get the chance to to that up a little over the next month.

At the reserve a week or so ago I got the opportunity to follow up on a promise to get some hawk shots for a friend. Our "sneaky" (okay blatant), young sparrowhawk spent a few hours sat in the bus below the feeders, before leaping up to catch an unfortunate chaffinch right when I didn't have my camera... Balls. At least I managed to get a couple of nice shots of him for James before he scarpered.

"Perfectly Camouflaged"

Yesterday I was being shown all the bits of the Clyde coast I'd missed by Rik; over the course of 6 hours racked up 70 species, including:

• Whooper swans
• Scaup
• Purple sandpiper
• Little grebe
• Sanderling
• Common Scoter
• and at the last gasp a Merlin, which shot across the road infront of us. 

Whooper 1

Whooper 2

A golf course of Scaup

The island hasn't been too bad either, black guillemots, hen harrier, loads of mergs and another flock of scoter about. Still a bit chilly though, roll on the better weather!

Fed up with snow!

I've been having a couple of conversations with my cousin, Rachel, over the past month, concerning the joys of snow. I remember when I used to love it. It was Chrsitmas-y, fun to play out in (until you got numb and damp and had to find somewhere to warm up), and there was a chance of cancelled classes.

What do you do when the weather is grey and cold?

Now? Now I see slippy pavements, traffic chaos, salt stains on ruining my boots, and a future consisting of brown slush. So after a week of persistent white stuff I've been needing a break, a touch of summer. Lacking the funds and free time for a getaway, I opted for an hour in Glasgow botanic gardens; I feel much better now!

I have always loved ferns since I studied them as an undergraduate, I think they are possibly one of the most under-rated plants. Plus they are usually kept wonderfully humid, so I was a great place to kill some time before my afternoon meeting in snowy East Kilbride.

The sori (groups of spores) are especially visible against the light of the glass house roof.

The dense foliage and often awkward light gave me a great opportunity to brush up on quickly adjusting my settings too (I'm often far too happy to rely on auto).

I'm not a huge orchid fan (too showy) but a shot of acid yellow in the white and grey day was nice

Can anyone tell me what this is?

A day with a dog.

For the last 24 fours I've been lucky enough to be looking after a four legged friend. It's been a great excuse to get out walking, and this morning I put dog, whistle, bins and scope in the car and headed round to Fintry Bay for a walk and a gander.

Well, he must be my lucky dog! 3 patch ticks and 6 birds for the year list (bringing me up to just75...)! We started off with the usual eider, shags, redshank etc, but soon picked up 28 common scoter and a juv GN diver. He even obliged by flushing a pair of snipe from the undergrowth. Next up a hooded crow was lurking near Little Skate Bay, and just as the sun came out we were treated to a quarter of merganser.

Common Scoter made a welcome patch tick, and I got my best ever views before deciding it was time to go home for lunch

There were plenty of geese overhead, moving toward Portachur, and as we rounded the corner for home I saw that they'd picked up a solitary confused looking pink foot. 

Incoming Greylags

Possibly the same bird spotted by Phil in the AM

Who doesn't love a saw-bill?

I've left the poor dog guarding the house (and trying to work out what to do with the zebra finches), but, I'm already planning on taking him on an owl hunt this evening, could add tawny's to the year total by tomorrow...

After a wrestle with the hairdryer, he's allowed back on the owl chair

Save Our Marine Station - Update

I said I'd keep you up to date with the goings on at the marine station; here's the latest. A long time friend of the marine station, Mark Blaxter (University of Edinburgh), has set up a petition to the Scottish parliament. This document calls them "to work with others in education, industry and statutory bodies to ensure the Millport Marine Station remains open".

So help us get the ball rolling - SIGN THIS PETITION! 

Sign up today and make us this happy!

Battle of the Blogs - Naturalist Blonde vs Naturebites

What do you do when a school friend (and birder) moves to Wales, sets up blog (see here) and a kick-ass nature tours company? Personally, I get competitive. So its a birding blog off, battle of the year lists. Nat vs Kat. Winner gets... to brag, I suppose. I'll sort out a running list somewhere...

Day 1 - Clumber Park with Kathy

I went for hawfinch, what I got was people... lots of people.

For those who haven't been, its a nice mix of deciduous and coniferous woodland and a large lake with an area wetlands. The amount of people and level of gossiping between myself and Kathy resulted in only 33 species, but included nice views of around 12 nuthatch, a very friendly jay and some cracking mandarin ducks.

The female was super aggressive, taking on absolutely everything that moved.

Day 2 - Back Garden

A blackcap joined the usual mix of garden birds in the garden, the first one I've seen there. 

End of day total, 35

Day 3 - Farr Ings

A good start with a flock of 30 waxwings on the road to the reserve and a marsh harrier quartering over the marsh as we pulled in. A reed bunting and willow tit haunted the feeders along with the finches and tits. LLT's, gold crest and a few more willow tits flitted around the entrance to the Pursuit hide and the lakes provided a nice mix of ducks and geese.

I'd have loved to get a nice picture of the willow tits, but the scenery was having none of it.

Current total - 53

Camera shy

Annoyingly so.