Guiding the guide

Yesterday I met up with fellow tour guide Peter Jones who had booked a holiday through Wild at Heart a local eco tour business, it seemed strange at first guiding a tour guide, but as he explained my local knowledge was what they were after.

A  highly diverse group there was a great atmosphere in the mini-bus throughout the trip.  First stop was a local loch in search of Red Throated Divers, it was then I realised these people were more than beginners when it came to photography, unfortunately, although the divers were showing well they were just too far off shore for decent shots.

Grouse put on a fine display and made up for the lack of Diver shots, the male and female closely guarding at least three young, next stop Eagle country.....

Or not as the case proved to be, it was a beautiful day for soaring eagles but alas none were to be seen but both Mountain and Brown hares, Red Deer and feral goats all gave the group plenty to snap at, with some amazing shots of boxing hares to be had.

All in all a cracking day, with glorious weather and a great deal of laughs, hopefully Peter and "wildwatch tours ltd" will return in the very near future.

Wildwatch Tours Ltd, having lunch

Today was a planned admin day, half day and full day tours have kept me extremely busy for the whole of May, so today articles for publcation had to written, e-mails replied to and grass to be cut.... this proved a distraction though as both Blackcap and Whitethroat were singing close by and I just had to try and get some pictures!  Not to worry at least I got half the garden cut :-)

  

Whitethroat

Blackcap



Sleepy Slavs

Another cracking half day tour in Speyside, Capercaillie first thing after setting out to pick up John, then a Short Eared Owl on the Grantown road, this bird was doing brief spurts of display flight, really nice to see.

After picking John up at the excellent Grant Ams Hotel (home of the BWWC) we had a late visit to the local Black Grouse lek, no males were present but one female was perched halfway up a tree near to the lek site.

Next a visit to the Grant Arms hotel own private hide for Slavonian Grebes, both birds were present, however the water level is mega high and looks like the nest site may be washed out, hopefully it is still early enough for them to retry.

Next was Findhorn Valley were we obtained good, but distant, views of Golden Eagle and Ring Ouzel.

A final stop off at a local loch provided good views of Red Grouse, and Red Throated Divers plus an added bonus of a Cuckoo perched on a telegraph wire.

All in all a very succesful morning.



Bus mans holiday

After spending Sunday night at a cracking wedding at Pittodrie house hotel near Aberdeen I decided to re-visit birding locations from my past.

First stop was Newburgh and the Ythan, thousands of Common Eider were strewn across the river mouth and a very healthy number of Sandwich Terns were on colony at the far side dune system.  The lighting was perfect for digiscoping and a lot of the heathland birds posed very conveniently.

RSPB Loch of Strathbeg was very quiet, however I've just checked on birdguides and looks like I missed a shorelark! The breeding Tree Sparrows proved a nice addition to the day though.

Last stop was Fraserburgh Seawatching viewpoint, nice surprise of the day was a Black Guillemot close to shore, nasty surprise of the day was a huge amount of hypo needles and drug paraphernalia.

A cracking day wandering down memory!

Goldfinch

Tree Sparrow

Shag

Drug den seawatching

Introducing the new Birding Ecosse vehicle

Well the time had come to trade in my ever reliable three door fiesta to a swanky new five door version, and I must say the new car is a dream to drive with bags more room in the back and boot.  No more squeezing into the rear seats, everyone gets their own door!! 

Keeping to a smaller vehicle means it is kinder to the environment and economic to drive and helps to ensure that Birding Ecosse still provides brilliant value for money for all who take part in half or full day tours.

Out on it's maiden run we clocked up Black Grouse, Ring Ouzel, Golden Eagle, Short Eared Owl and Red Throated Diver, not bad for an afternoon!

Winter returns to Morayshire!

Out on a workshop today, but the weather was absolutely atrocious.

We did however get some good birds with the highlight of the day being a Ross's Goose just outside Forres.

Still hundreds of Long Tailed Ducks and Common Scoter at Burghead, unfortunately no sign of the White Billed Divers.  Gannets were putting on a good show close to shore.

Gannet



From Norfolk to Scotlands West Coast!

Well folks the last two weeks have been quite manic, but in a highly enjoyable way! Greate locations, great company and brilliant birds.

I will update the blog as I go along but so much has happened it will be  spread out over a few weeks but for now a few habitat shots of the places I have been.

Cley -Norfolk

Torridon Area -Scotland

Poolewe - Scotland

Gruinard Island - Scotland

Torridon Area - Scotland



Spring Holidays are here!

Off to Norfolk tonight for a few days birding and visiting friends, keep watching this space for reports or follow me on twitter @birdingecosse.

Be back soon folks!

103 Species and 14 lifers!

Just completed a fantastic three days guiding in Scotland, covering the West coast, Scottish Glens and Moors, the Moray Coastline and North to Loch Fleet and the Cromarty Firth.  Even though this was not a concentrated "how many species can we see" exercise we still managed to notch up a total of 103!

Applecross area

There is something really satisfying about getting people their target birds, sometimes it is a bird they have seen in a book as a child or a bird they have been longing to see for a very long time but have just never connected with it.  Today  Rab's bogey bird that had haunted him for sixty years was unblocked in grand style when I was able to present a whole telegraph wire full of them! I will leave the species a mystery so let your minds run riot!

Golden Eagle (one of three)

A little taster of what was seen:  Bean Goose, Scaup by the 100's Long tailed duck by the 1000's both summer and winter plumaged birds, Red, Black and Great Northern Divers all in summer plumage,  Ptarmigan, Black Grouse Lekking,Slavonian Grebes summer plumage, Red Kite, Ringtail Hen Harrier, Golden Eagle, Osprey, Purple Sandpipers in summer plumage, Iceland gull, Black Guillemot, Hooded Crow, Twite and Crossbill.

Two satisfied clients, 14 lifers between them and one very very happy "Birding Ecosse" Guide! 

Mountain Goat

Another cracking day

Another full day guiding this time across to the Applecross peninsula with Andrew.

The day got off to a good start with Dipper just outside Dulnain bridge, a good gaggle of Greylag Geese in a nearby field.

Heading into the highlands we stopped at a roadside layby to witness two Red Throated Diver going through their display ritual and giving their haunting calls, not to be outdone a nearby Black Throated Diver answered back!

Up over the "Pass of the cattle" we were treated to some stunning views but not even these could compare to the high flying Golden Eagle (a lifer for Andrew which he picked up himself)  and Ptarmigan (lifer number two) as it sat in full view on top of a rock calling it's heart out.

Applecross itself proved a valuable stop with six Slavonian Grebes, Common Scoter, Razorbill and two Great Northern Diver, a flyby Iceland Gull was a nice addition to the day list as well.  Also a distant Black Guillemot (lifer 3!)  however we did pick up a closer Black Guillemot nearer to the Sheildaig area.

Weather all day was superb, once again great company and most of all some stunning birds!

Roll on tomorow!!

Three lifers Andrew

Great Northern Diver (nearly full plumage)

Sheildaig Area

What difference a week makes!

Well this time last week we were basking in summer sunshine, a temperature of +24 and not a cloud in the sky.  Today, 7 inches on snow!!  Add to that no power from 04:30 until 13:00 and a chest infection it's been a swell day!