Monday 12 August 2013

I have moved!

Hello to everyone, as you may have noticed this blog page has been fairly quite of late, this is due to moving my web page and getting that up and running properly, thank you Marc from Canary Dwarf I'm now No1 entry on google!

I have been dividing my valuable and very restricted admin time updating both this blog and my web page, so I have decided to concentrate my efforts solely on the web page.

To follow please go to www.birdingecosse.co.uk and select the blogspot tab.

Hopefully see you on the other side, many thanks to you all and "Good Birding"

Regards

Dave

Tuesday 2 July 2013

I'm back - Alberta Part1

Well that's me back to Bonnie Scotland after a cracking three weeks in Alberta Canada, taking in the worst flooding in Alberta's history, being caught up in a real live Tornado warning and some scorching sunshine.

Although not a birding holiday all the people we stayed with accepted our strange ways and all pulled out the stops to ensure we saw as many species possible, so a massive thanks to you, one and all!

Total list (some still to be verified) stands at 96 for the trip and no less than 38 lifers for me!  A couple will remain in the catagory  "what was that then?" and one call frustratingly followed us about throughout the trip but the songster remained elusive.

If anyone see's any obvious ID faux pax then please feel to correct!


American Robin


Clay Coloured Sparrow


Eastern Kingbird


Ruby Throated Hummingbird

I scored early on with my two main target birds being collected on the first morning!  Black Capped Chickadee was seen from our bedroom window and the Ruby Throated Hummingbird was a regular visitor to the feeder!  All I needed now was a cup of Tim Horton's coffee and a doughnut and all three "musts" had been completed!

Stay tuned for more pics and stories from the trip.

Monday 27 May 2013

Cheeky Hare!

Had a nice trip up Findhorn Valley on Saturday with Sue from the excellent Bird watching and Wildlife club situated in the Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown on Spey (BWWC) and Robert from Nethybridge.

The Eagles proved elusive all morning however both Robert and Sue scored a lifer in the form of male Ring Ouzel feeding and collecting food on the valley side.

The mountain hare pictured below kept us under close watch for most of the morning as it relaxed in the morning sun keeping sheltered from the biting cold wind.  Summer has still not fully arrived in this part of the world!




Friday 24 May 2013

July Planned trips and outings

 

July planned trips and tours programme now available to view on my web page www.birdingecosse.co.uk

Book early to avoid disappointment


Monday 20 May 2013

Super sexy Slavs

At a small very public Lochan in the Highlands, these stunning little Slavonian Grebes make themselves at home.

One of my favourite birds, in winter or summer plumage.  Today's tour also netted Ring Ouzel, Black Throated Diver, Peregrine Falcon and Red Kite.

Interested in seeing these birds for yourself?  Then book a trip with Birding Ecosse...... remember "there is no dross with Birding Ecosse"









Checking out a Coots nest for size!

Wednesday 15 May 2013

The manic pace continues!

Sorry for lack of posts recently, it's not that I have nothing to report, the exact opposite in fact with not enough hours in the day!

Met some brilliant people, seen some brilliant birds and been in some spectacular Scottish scenery.

To keep you going a quick selection of pics taken over the last few weeks.





Tawney Owl (looking stunning...... not!)



Can you spot Owlet number 2?



 Black Throated Diver



My office! (when on a tour that is)

Wednesday 1 May 2013

May Newsletter




Blauwborst and Stroopwaffle!

Life continues it's manic pace at the moment, I have just arrived home after a long weekend with Lynda visiting long term friends Wilfred and Gusta in a pretty little town called Denekamp near the German border.

I'm in the process of writing a trip report that will be published on my web page www.birdingecosse.co.uk but until then here is a taster of what happened!  It would be an absolutely mind blowing place to lead a tour, any takers for an Autumn visit?



Blauwborst (Bluethroat)


Black Necked Grebe


Bargervenn and absolutely jaw dropping reserve.



Middle Spotted Woodpecker (lifer No1)



Lekker stroopwaffles!

Wednesday 17 April 2013

A mixed bag!

A mixed bag sums up today's brilliant half day tour with www.birdingecosse.co.uk .

It started with a cracking view of a male Capercaillie with a chorus of Crossbills tchuup tchuup tchuuping overhead, an early morning in a Scottish pine wood is hard to beat.

Next stop our local Grouse moor for Black Grouse, we were not to be disappointed as a male sat out in full view on top of a Silver Birch, so far so good!







A brief stop between Broomhill station and Nethybridge revealed my first hirundines of the year, Swallows and Sand Martins were hawking over the flooded river and large pool that had appeared in the nearby fields.

Trying to emulate the same time last year, when we managed the four main Grouse in one day, we headed off for Cairngorm and Ptarmigan... the fire engine that followed us into the car park and the door to the ticket office still being locked did not bode well!

In a matter of 10 minutes the weather had deteriorated into a full scale white out!  A full plumaged Male Snow Bunting hunkered on a picnic table proved momentary relief but the funicular cancelled for the morning and  we decided to spend our time more productively so headed off towards the moors.

Grouse number three came in the colour Red, with a brace of these cracking birds picked up close to the road, the snow by this time had been replaced by a heavy and persistent rain.

It was good to see the Black and Red Throated Divers had paired up at a local hotspot, both species gave distant but prolonged views, both really are stunning birds when they are in full summer plumage.

Next stop was a check in at my local Ospreys to see that their nest was still intact after the gale force winds of yesterday, all was okay with the nest but the bedraggled female sitting in a tree nearby cut a very depressed figure!

Final stop was Lossiemouth estuary, the usual suspects were present along with Lesser Black Backed Gull (a summer migrant to these parts) and three Sandwich Terns, the sound of the Terns bringing thoughts of long hot summer days, how different did it feel today with the +2 temp and heavy rain.  Bird of the day for me was a single Grey Plover on the estuary, even though still in winter plumage a good bird to end the day on.

Saturday 13 April 2013

Busy Busy Busy!

It has been a fantastic period for Birding Ecosse, brilliant people, brilliant scenery and some absolutely outstanding birds and birding moments!!

It will take a while to get my notes in order and do proper updates with pics, however to keep you all going a flavour of the past couple of weeks:

Closest ever fly past of not one but two Capercaillies, wasn't even expecting these birds as I was on a public road at ten o'clock in the morning! Luckily no logging wagons were hurtling past or the population would be minus two males!

Bucket loads of Golden Eagles, giving jaw dropping views through scopes and binos.

Long Tailed Ducks in transition plumage.

Black Throated Divers in full breeding plumage on a tranquil Scottish Loch.

And my local Ospreys back on their nesting territory.  I love living in the Scottish Highlands!




A typical Scottish morning (well sometimes!)


Iceland Gull


Long Tailed Duck Female below, male in transition plumage above



Breathtaking Scottish Scenery!