Beautiful Bewicks

Fantastic day guiding to Loch Fleet and surrounding area.

Total of 48 species seen with highlights including, Greenshank, Twite, Brambling and at least three Bewick Swans in field with whoopers not far from Fearn.

Whooper and Bewick Swans

Whooper and Bewick Swans





Bewick Swans

Same birds different day?

Struck gold again today guiding up the findhorn valley.  A single Golden Eagle appeared through the gloom in the first break in the weather, then on the return journey three (yes two days in a row!) Golden Eagles appeared soaring and interacting with each other.  Gave a brilliant show for about 15 minutes.



Golden Eagle x three!

What a weekend!  Wall to wall birding with some fantastic entertaining and interesting characters.

Highlights are pictured below, but by far my favourite moment was the three Golden Eagles soaring together, however better than the spectacle of seeing this natural wonder was the fact that they were lifers for Lynda!

But what's nice to know is that tomorrow I'm back out Eagle hunting at the same location.... happy days!

Glaucous Gull

Mountain Hare 

Golden Eagles 

Golden Eagles

Crossbill

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2012

What a great way to spend an hour of the weekend!

Using the car as a hide Lynda and I undertook our first ever Big Garden Birdwatch, nice to spend time looking at common stuff usually past over.

Tally for day:

Blue Tit
House Sparrow
Great Tit
Dunnock
Robin
Siskin
Chaffinch
Woodpigeon
Pheasant
Coal Tit
Blackbird
Goldfinch
Greenfinch

Big Garden Birdwatch Venue for 2012



The Tufty Club

Cracking relaxed drive around Speyside today with Robert from Nethybridge.

Started off with Red Squirrels in his garden, they are looking stunning at this time of year.  Next onto Goose watch.

Near to Broomhill station a gaggle in the fields contained Greylag, Pink Footed and at least twenty White Fronted Geese, unfortunately no sign of the recently reported Bean Geese.

White Fronted Geese



All quiet!

It has been a fairly quiet start to 2012, hopefully it will get more "birdy" soon!

Sorting through my recent pics came across this little selection from the trip to Loch Fleet on the 01 January 2012.

Heading for Black Grouse and Crossbills on Monday.



Brambling

Redpoll

Common Seal (yawning!)



Common Seal (smiling)

Happy New Year and return to Greater Yellowlegs

Well the lure of the Greater Yellowlegs proved too much and we headed back North to Loch Fleet (it is so good having a girlfriend that is a birder as well!) to add this wee beauty to the 2012 list.

A lovely drive North through some stunning scenery, once we had cleared the rain at Inverness.  Arriving at the same location as yesterday we were pleased to see the bird had not moved, plus as an added bonus it was joined by a Greenshank.

The Yellowlegs was feeding extremely well and in a ten minute period scoffed at least five worms so hopefully it's winter vacation may not spell it's demise.

Nearby was a huge finck flock containing Greenfinch, Chaffinch, at least 5 Brambling, Linnets, Redpoll and Twite.

Greenshank (left) Greater Yellowlegs (Right)

Greenshank

Greater Yellowlegs

Greenshank

This was my perfect way to spend 01 January and by far the best birding start to any year, a total day list of 52, lovely weather and the company of Lynda, lets hope this is the start of a fantastic 2012.

And another lifer rounds up 2011!

Took a spur of the moment trip up to Loch Fleet to try for the long staying Greater Yellowlegs (and also to give Lyndas new Swaro 8x32 their first outing!)

Having forgotten that we were on Taxi duty for my daughter this evening we were half way to Fleet before we realised!  Not to worry we arrived in plenty time and managed perfect views of the bird... and what a cracker it was!

Feeding in it's well reported patch in the flooded field next to the Coull Farm entranceit was very settled and confiding.  Definately well worth the visit!

Greater Yellowlegs - Loch Fleet 31 Dec 2011

All in all 2011 has proved a good year, Birding Ecosse has "taken off" and has been recieving some excellent feedback and re-bookings.

Year list stands at 174 UK 218 World and 5 UK Lifers:

1 Long Billed Dowitcher
2 Sandhill Crane
3 Bittern
4 Red Flanked Blue-Tail
5 Greater Yellowlegs

So Happy New Year to everyone "Lang mae yer lumbs reek" and here is to a bird rich 2012.

HAPPY NEW YEAR



Winter wonderland with Golden eagles.

It was a surprise driving to Grantown-on-Spey this morning and encountering a blizzard! The roads weren't too bad though and armed with my new snow tyres I decided to attempt my Eagle Special up the Findhorn Valley.

I picked Pauline and Ian up from their guest house and headed due west.  The Valley was snow covered but in a very picturesque way.

Once again we were lucky and ended up with two sightings, of possibly the same individual Golden Eagle, as was to be expected it was an immature, this bird showing quite a lot of white on the underwing.  On the second sighting it was being dive bombed by a Peregrine!

A slow and snowy drive over Dava moor via Lochindorb gave brilliant close up views of the many Red Grouse, their dark plumage making them stand out like sore thumbs against the snowy background.

Another great day in the field with lots of laughs and some cracking birds, what a fine way to spend the day!

 Red Grouse



   

Findhorn Valley looking East



Findhorn Valley looking West



Golden Eagle fast food!

Another brilliant day tour today this time with John and Nicola from Norfolk, and a drive up the Findhorn valley once again turned up the goods in the shape of a 1st winter Golden Eagle being mobbed by two Buzzards giving a fantastic size comparison! Also in the area Roe Deer and least four individual herds of Red deer, Good views of Mountain Goats and also the Mountain Hare pictured below.

White Rock? Ptarmigan?  No it's a.....



Mountain hare!