Scottish Highlands Birdwatching Tour 6th-13th April 2024

Tour leader – Chris Mills

Assistant guide – Richard Thaxton

Participants:- Linda Barrett, Laurie & Linda Bryant, Shenagh Gilliard, Sean & Sue Greenway & Helen Prandy.

The tour offered a good overview of the specialist Highland species, and this year we had good views of many of the iconic Scottish Highland species, Crested Tit, Osprey, Black Grouse, Slavonian Grebe,breeding plumage Red-throated and Black-throated Diver, Crossbills, good views of White-tailed and Golden Eagle, Goshawk, Peregrines and Snow Bunting. Plus Scaup, Purple Sandpiper, Dipper, Wheatear, a drake American Wigeon and super close views of Bottle N Dolphin.

All images Sean Greenway & Chris Mills* noted on image

TOUR OVERVIEW

The tour was based at the fantastic and dedicated birding accommodation provided by the Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey. The rooms were warm, spacious & comfortable, the breakfasts and evening meals excellent, including catering for specific dietary requirements. We were also surrounded by many other keen birders, so there was also the opportunity to share and gain birding information each evening.

Plus several talks and presentations were attended in the eveings.

Over the 7 days we recorded 119 species of birds.

TOUR REPORT

Day 1 – Saturday 6^th April – Nottingham to Grantown-on-Spey, Highlands.

I collected five of the group from two central locations in Nottinghamshire and Linda from Wetherby Services. Shenagh met us up in the Highlands at the Grant Arms.

We arrived mid-afternoon in the south of Scotland and during our journey into the Highlands, we noted Pink-footed Geese by the roadside and several Buzzard, Red Kites, Raven, Curlews and Oystercatchers.

We arrived at the Grant Arms around 5.15pm and met up with Shenagh.

We had a lovely evening meal and we were all in bed early after long journeys!

Overnight – Evening meal and drinks at the Grant Arms.

Day 2 – Sunday 7^th April – Nethy Bridge, Dorback area, Anagach Woods, Dellefure and Grantown woods.

The weather forecast wasn’t great for our first full day, with gusty winds and showers. There was no point in an early start, and we met for a 730am breakfast, we met up with Richard Thaxton a local guide who was helping me out on several days as I was still recovering from an illness.

We headed out after breakfast and started with a look around Nethy Bridge, where a very obliging Dipper was located, giving nice views from the banks.

We then headed to a feed station nearby where Crested Tits had been seen, we gave it a good 45 minutes and although the Crested Tits didn’t appear we were treated to stunning views of our first Red squirrels with 2 giving almost constant close views. Also, a steady stream of Siskin, Coal, Blue and Great Tits, also a Great Spotted Woodpecker, plus a flyover calling Crossbill. As we wandered back also had nice views of Treecreeper and a singing Goldcrest, plus 2 Mistle Thrush were vocal and showing nicely on the short grass.

As we arrived back at the river, we had another look for the Dippers, they had disappeared, but a super drake Goosander was sitting out on a rock and gave great views.

We headed to another feeder site, in our quest for Crested Tit, lots more action with a similar mix of species as the other feeder, but alas after a 30-minute vigil, today was not going to be a Crested Tit day!

It was now late morning, so I headed us to the South of Nethy Bridge, exploring the open moorland and mountainous areas at the East end of the Cairngorms, a good area to scan for raptors etc.

We were treated to an exciting couple of hours of mainly raptors, a great start within the first 15 minutes was an immature Golden Eagle gracing the hills in the distance, soaring back and forth along the ridge for a short period. Then a Sparrowhawk appeared plus several Buzzards and Red Kites. Several Ravens were noted, and the moorland offered up good views of Stonechat and Meadow Pipits.

More distantly a pair of Goshawks could be seen over a conifer plantation, so we decided to explore another minor road to the South of our current spot. The move proved a good idea with better views of the Goshawks, and three birds circling together and 2 male Goshawks grappling! Also 2 Swallow and Sand Martin from here as well.

We next headed to the Dellefure area, it was now very windy, but we found a sheltered lane where we could listen and look for Crossbills. We didn’t find any Crossbills but did have nice views of several Lesser Redpoll, Siskin and Treecreeper.

We finished the day off, with a final look for Crested Tit in the woods at Grantown, we got much closer this time with a Crested Tit heard calling, but the call evaporated, and the bird melted away unseen! It had been a nice first full day, and we headed off for tea and coffee back at The Grant Arms, before dinner.

Overnight – Evening meal and drinks at the Grant Arms.

Day 3 Monday 8^th April – Black Grouse Lek, Lochindorb, Findhorn, Loch Ruthven and Lochindorb

We started the day with pre-breakfast birding, departing at 6.30am, we arrived at our vantage point just after 6.45am, the conditions were reasonable with dry, sunny conditions and a gusty breeze.

Over the next hour we watched and listened to male Black Grouse displaying and kettling, the lovely sight and sound of these birds always a great thrill to watch, as they gave us the full foam bath experience!

Also, enjoyable and part of the atmosphere, were displaying Curlew and calling Red Grouse. It was also lovely to spot in amongst some boulders 2 Mountain Hares, both in transition from winter to summer fur.

After breakfast we headed towards Lochindorb, we were stopped in our tracks on the way when a super ringtail Hen Harrier crossed the road and was watched hunting across the adjacent fields. We then passed through the extensive Common Gull colony before reaching the Eastern end of Lochindorb. It was very windy and there were white tops across the entire Loch, we checked for Divers but it was tricky in the conditions, but Goldeneye, Goosander, Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatchers present.

We now headed onwards to Findhorn valley, several Red Kite and Buzzard were noted as we travelled, we then stopped suddenly as a Goshawk appeared briefly above the horizon. We stopped at our first vantage and scanning point at the Farr turning arriving right on cue, as a 2cy Golden Eagle came over the treetops, giving really nice views before heading on down the valley. This was followed very shortly after by a young     2-3cy White-tailed eagle, that came towards us but gained height as it reached us still nice views. From here there was also more views of 2 ♂ and 1 ♀  Goshawk.

A Sparrowhawk and 2 Kestrels were also up and flying, the latter showing regularly. We stopped off again halfway down the valley, but this time it was much quieter and we soon headed on down to the final parking area at the Western end of the track. We weren’t scanning for long before 2 Peregrines appeared, flying in tandem and completing a morning’s raptor fest! Ravens were out on the gusty wind and practicing their aerial acrobatics along the cliffs and we also saw our first groups of Red Deer up on the steep hillsides. Nearby, on the lower stony slopes freshly arrived Wheatears were flitting around, a cracking grey, black and orange male showing well alongside another 3-4 Wheatears. A second Golden Eagle was drifting across the ridges but was distant and nothing to rival the earlier views.

We had lunch out of the wind here and then headed back up the valley, then North to Loch Ruthven area, via Farr, it was a nice sunny day with beautiful scenery, the birding was quieter as we headed over the tops.

At Loch Ruthven we walked towards the hide and from the first bay a single Slavonian Grebe, was found albeit distant and under the far shoreline, we enjoyed this first bird nonetheless, unaware of the views we were about to be spoilt with! We headed onwards to the hide, as Richard was confident this would offer up better views, boy he wasn’t wrong! Eventually we had 5 fully summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes in view, with one pair up close, they displayed and called dancing on the water just in front of us, stunning and superb looking creatures! The Little Grebes were lovely but a little in the shadows after the Slavs!

As the wind had now almost completely dropped, we decided it was worth another try back at Lochindorb. We arrived to a mirrored Loch flat calm, ideal conditions and it wasn’t long before Richard had located a Diver on the water, it was very smart breeding plumage Red-throated Diver, beautiful but not quite the prize we were looking for! We moved along the Loch and pulled up at a favoured spot for scanning, after a few minutes I noticed two divers swimming under the far shoreline. I yelled them out as they were clearly heavy and could only be the Black-throated Divers we were searching for. They continued synchronously moving Westwards, so we moved positions and they eventually appeared in view still in tandem, absolutely stunning in their breeding finery. We waited and watched as they continued into the Western Bay and gave us great views, such superbly plumaged birds, Black-throated Divers in this plumage are so very special! Just to finally round the day off our 3^rd Golden eagle was spotted soaring along the distant ridge, we headed back after a wonderful days birding!

Overnight – Evening meal and drinks at the Grant Arms.

Day 4 – Tuesday 9^th April Findhorn Bay Burghead, Roseisle and Lossiemouth.

The weather forecast wasn’t great today, with strong winds and heavy showers forecast! We met for a 730am breakfast and then headed up to the North Coast, where the forecast looked a little more forgiving.

A quick stop and scan near Dulnain Bridge, gave us distant views of 4 Whooper Swan that had been seen by others earlier. We then headed first to Findhorn Bay, we stopped off to check the estuary on arrival, the tide was very high, and many birds were forced on to the tideline, or wildfowl out on to the open water. There was an impressive flock of over c100 Pintail, with several hundred Pink-footed Geese taking flight as we arrived and still some close birds sat along the shoreline.

Scanning gave us groups of Teal, Wigeon, Shelduck c60 Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher and the nearby shoreline held some very smart group of c30 Sandwich Terns, presumably having arrived in the last week or so.

We then headed round to look just offshore of the estuary to the harbour area, similar mix of species but 6 Red-breasted Mergansers and Goldeneye and a nice female Long-tailed Duck came by at closer range and a group of Turnstone were feeding close on the jetty.

We then headed round to look just offshore on to the open sea, it was quiet off here but a few Gannets, Kittiwakes passed by and several more groups of Sandwich terns,

plus, a single Guillemot was on the sea.

We now headed to Burghead, we started on the East side of the headland, and this gave us a nice raft of Common Scoter and several close inshore Long-tailed Duck showing very well, several Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Red-throated Diver. Plus, a vociferous and displaying Rock Pipit. We then headed to the Western harbour area, here there was a nice roosting flock of Turnstone, hiding amongst these were 9 Purple Sandpipers plus a single Sanderling.

A message from Dawn Balmer and Pete Wilson alerted us to a nearby White-billed Diver they had found at Roseisle Bay, so we headed off around there, aborting our coffee stop!

We managed a quick outdoor coffee at Roseisle parking then headed out to the dunes and shore, we joined forces with another birder hopefully scanning the bay. There was a frustratingly distant large summer plumage Diver!? Though this in the end was determined to be a Great Northern Diver as it was in full summer plumage, whereas the White-billed was partial, despite further scanning over the next 45 minutes the WBD wasn’t found, though we did have our only Velvet Scoter, and there was a Slavonian Grebe, 3-4 Long-tailed Duck, several Eider, Red-breasted Merganser and Red-throated Diver. Until now we had done surprisingly well at missing the worst of the showers, but the rain had suddenly increased, and we headed for the minibus!

Next stop Lossiemouth and on arrival the clouds parted for the first time in the day and the sun peaked out! A scan offshore on the East side of the headland produced a nice flock of c200 Common Scoter, plus more of the same sea-ducks. Another message from Dawn Balmer & Pete Wilson alerted us that the American Wigeon was still present in the estuary area just around the corner, so we headed there. A quick scan from the parking area didn’t find the American Wigeon, but we did locate a perched Osprey, sat on a post just above the water!

As the American Wigeon wasn’t visible from the parking area, we set off walking about 1/2mile sot the West, after several scans of a small group of Eurasian Wigeon, the American Wigeon appeared from a creek it had been hiding in! A smart looking drake its distinctive head pattern, now obvious in the bright sunshine that had emerged. We watched for a good while with everyone got good scope views and even a few pictures.

Other birds feeding in this area were Teal, Red-breasted merganser, c20 Bar-tailed Godwit We Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, c30 Dunlin, a single Red Knot, c30 Ringed Plover and Curlew. Suddenly all the birds took to the skies, a cursory glance and it was the Osprey seen earlier heading along the estuary looking to fish, it got closer and closer, and we had superb views, it eventually headed out along the shoreline and appeared with prey, a flatfish it had caught from the shallows.

This concluded a really nice day that had started out in very tricky weather conditions!

Overnight – Evening meal and drinks at the Grant Arms

Day 5 – Wednesday 10^th April Dell Woods, Cairngrom, Loch Insh, Avielochan, Carrbridge and Carr Road.

The day started cold but dry, definitely a day for another attempt to see Crested Tit!

We headed to the Dell Wood area, that seemed to be one of the more reliable locations, especially mid-morning! We arrived just after 9am and wandered therough tyjhe woodland to the feeder area, there was already the usual Coal Tit, Siskin and a Red Squirrel in attendance! We didn’t have to wait too long this time after about ten minutes, I spied a Crested Tit arrive just above the feeders, “Crested Tit” I yelled out! I needn’t have worried it was soon showing well on the feeders, and was shortly joined by a second Crested Tit, presumably its mate. They showed well for a good ten minutes, and we got some pictures as well, a relief for me as the guide and a delight for the rest of the group!

We next headed up to Cairngorm, we stopped off at the lower car park, but the wind was strong and gusty and freezing cold, no respecting Ring Ouzel was going to be singing or sitting around in these conditions!!

So, we headed to the main Upper car park, conditions were far from ideal with the wind whipping around, after a few birdless moments, a few Snow Bunting appeared on the roofs of the buildings. Minutes later, as I parked out of the wind, a stunning flock of c20 Snow Buntings dropped down into the parking area, most of them in advanced summer plumage looking very black and white, a lovely sight! They were busy constantly flying up and down, confetti like in flight as they twisted back and forth from the buildings down to the ground.

The wind was now blowing hard with squally showers, we took the chanced of respite and a hot drink in Aviemore. We then headed out to an Osprey breeding locality, where a pair have historically bred. On arrival, there was 2 Osprey circling and interacting and incredibly shortly after they were joined by a third Osprey, and for next 30 minutes we were kept well entertained as 2 females and a male Osprey showed off their aerial acrobatics just above us! Also, Goosander on the Loch, plus Long-tailed Tits and a single House Martin flew over.

It was squally and raining again so we then headed on to a hide, where we could eat packed lunches and be out of the showers! The hide overlooks a Slavonian Grebe breeding site, and 3 Slavonian Grebes were present, another chance to admire these little stunners! Plus, Goldeneye, Little Grebe and our first Moorhens of the trip!

We then headed to Carrbridge where we had a lovely group of summer plumaged Golden Plover, alongside several Curlew and Lapwing. Scanning the ridges produced Buzzards and Red Kites, but no Eagles from this spot where I had seen them before.

We then took the Carr Road through the meandering farmland back towards Dulnain Bridge, eventually stumbling on to a nice if slightly distant flock of around c500 Pink-footed Geese, I set about thoroughly checking through them and was eventually rewarded with a White-fronted Goose. It wasn’t particularly dark and looked like a typical Russian White-fronted Goose. Also, here another group of Golden Plover, plus Wigeon and Teal.

Overnight – Evening meal and drinks at the Grant Arms.

Day 6 – Thursday 11^th April Lochindorb, Findhorn, Dulnain, Curr of Skye, Old Spey Bridge

We started the day with a drive through the Lochindorb areas looking for Merlin, this didn’t materialise, but as we left the valley, we rewarded with our second White-tailed eagle of the touranother young bird, it threatened to come straight towards us into the wind, but rather annoyingly it finally drifted with the wind away from us!

We then headed on to Findhorn, where on arrival at the same point as last time, we were this time greeted almost immediately by an immature low flying White-tailed Eagle, that gave great views as it slowly plodded down the valley into a strong wind! A bit more scanning gave us a ♀ Goshawk, plus a Sparrowhawk, nice for comparison and several Buzzard. Close by in the minibus we flushed an Osprey from its perch, sadly it saw us and flew before we had noticed it!

We then had a quiet period, and the wind was again blowing hard, it had been a rather windy week! I decided to head right down to the end car park, and we set out for a walk up the valley, but not before admiring the local pair of Peregrines, showing off along the ridge and tangling with the local Ravens!

We walked up the valley with the wind straight in our faces, we eventually stopped to look and listen at a favoured spit just out of the wind. There was no Ring Ouzel to be heard, but we did stumble on to a nice group of 4 Wheatears, showing nicely on the rocks and chasing each other around. A single Swallow and a few Sand Martins also along the river, seeking insects. We walked with the wind dropping slightly and Laurie heard a Ring Ouzel briefly, but it never sang again and didn’t appear.

We now headed for a quick cake and coffee stop at Carrbridge, before heading on to look for Dippers, we found a single Dipper at Dulnain.

Our next birding was at Curr Wood, it was very quiet when we arrived but after a shoirt walk we eventually had a pair of Crossbills come and land right above us, sitting in the top of the tree. The male Crossbill landed and sang in full view.

We finished the day off with another pair of Dipper on the Spey, which were much more obliging than the Dulnain bird earlier! It gave lovely views and slightly unusually they were both flycatching over the water! Also Sand Martins hawking insects here, and several nice close flyby Goldeneye and a Red-breasted Merganser on the river.

Overnight – Evening meal and drinks at the Grant Arms.

Day 7 – Friday 12^th April

Our last day of birding started dry and bright, so we had a breakfast met up with Richard and then headed for the Black isle area. We stopped firstly at Allanfearn, on the Moray Firth. The tide was well out, but we could see at least c30 Scaup bobbing in the water, plus we also noted 2 Slavonian Grebes and a Long-tailed Duck. There was also a nice White wagtail on a close by pool and a showy ♂ Reed Bunting.

We then headed further north stopping off briefly on the way to look at Munlochy bay, but the tide was very low. There was plenty of Redhank, Curlew, Teal and Shelduck but nothing we hadn’t already encountered, so we continued onwards.

We eventually arrived at the well-known Chanonry Point, famous for its Bottle-nosed Dolphins. Today the Dolphins did not disappoint, we joined a crowd close to the shoreline and at least 12 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were visible, but with 2-3 regularly coming within metres of the shoreline and us! We watched with awe as they continuously surfaced and dived just metres away. After thoroughly enjoying the Dolphins, we moved to a more secluded and sheltered spot, where we could scan the bay. From here over the next hour, we had a very pleasant time with the sun behind us, picking out Razorbills, Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Shags, Gannets, Long-tailed Duck and Red-throated Divers.

We stopped off and grabbed a coffee and cake nearby then our next stop was Udale bay, we reached there possibly a little later than we intended as it was clearly a very high tide and rising! But there was a nice mixture of waders and wildfowl roosting. At least c50 Red Knot, c30 Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, 1000 Pink-footed Geese, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Sandwich Tern and 2 ♂ Gadwall our only ones of the trip.

We moved on a short distance up the coast to the unlikely named Jemimaville! A convenient pull in just east of the village gave us views of the biggest Scaup flock I’ve seen for many years with around c450 Greater Scaup in several flocks across the water.

Also 3 summer plumage Slavonian Grebe and a several very smart ♂ Long-tailed Duck.

The day finished off just up the coast in the quaint village of Cromarty, more of the same here, but we couldn’t find us a Black Guillemot!

Overnight – Evening meal and drinks at the Grant Arms.

Day 8 – Saturday 13^th – Return to Nottingham and Norfolk.

We left Grantown at 7.30am.

The journey went well with everyone dropped off by 4pm in the Notts/Derbyshire area near Junction 25 of the M1.

Birds recorded
Over the week 119 species were recorded by the group, but most memorable will be the Black Grouse lek, White-tailed eagle, Golden Eagle, good views of Crested Tit and Crossbills. Wonderful views of Osprey, and of course the stunning breeding plumage Red-throated Divers, Black-throated Divers, Slavonian Grebes, Long-tailed Ducks plus wonderful views of Bottle-nosed Dolphins and Red Squirrels.

Not to be forgotten was the American Wigeon and that wonderful flock of Scaup!

Systematic list of birds recorded

chrismills@norfolkbirding.com

www.norfolkbirding.com

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