Covid 19 Update
Birding Ecosse Blogspot
Welcome to the Birding Ecosse blog, if it is your first visit then thank you very much for dropping in!
This blog will follow all my trips and tours, so if you have been out with me recently the chances are very high you will make an appearance! Most of the pictures on the blog are my own, however if I do use third party pictures I will have obtained their permission and will give them full credit.
It is designed to be a light hearted read to show how and where Birding Ecosse operates, so if you are thinking of booking a tour check out this Blog and my Blog Archives and then read through the Testimonials and you should get a flavour of what to expect! Great Birds, Great Scenery with Coffee and biscuits thrown in! Please note: All birds will have been viewed in a safe and environmentally accepted way, that is to say by using public access at all times or by the use of hides specifically erected for the observation of this species and by keeping at a safe distance and viewing through telescopes. Remember you can keep in touch via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dslaterbirdingecosse or twitter @birdingecosse
Did you know Birding Ecosse produces a newsletter? Get up to date news and offers first if you subscribe, check out “latest news” page for the most current publication then just select subscribe. The newsletter is a lighthearted look at what has happened the previous months, full of Pictures and information (many that are not published on this blog page) of places we have visited, we also produce our mid month “Planned trips” mailing which gives an update of all remaining spaces available on tours.
Merry Christmas!
To all Birding Ecosse Victims, Past, Present and Future, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy Bird Filled 2021!
Bookings for 2021 are now open and filling up fast, looks like things will be back up and running 01 March 2021 all going well. I really cannot wait to see all your happy smiling faces once again (no really lol)
Merry Christmas “Toooooot”
Wednesday 09 December 2020
Well still on the subject of my picture backlog, phase one of “operation sort out” is complete, with all pictures no sorted into corresponding folders. Phase 2 is now going through each folder sorting out the wheat from the chaff, this is the good phase!
Today’s folder is Arctic Skua and below are some of the highlights for me.
Monday 30 November 2020
Greetings from the Far North, we are pleased to say our December 2020 newsletter is now online, see here December Newsletter.
Been having a great time going through my backlog of picture, its lovely stumbling across images you had forgotten you had taken, a small sample below:
Thursday 05 November 2020
Well here we go again! England back in so called “lockdown” and Scotland in tighter restrictions, but looking at the positive, the birds are always there!
November has started with a bang Birdwise, huge flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings have arrived in the area and have stripped many of the Rowans and other berry bearing trees, so if the Waxwings arrive they have very slim picking to refuel with!
A quick walk around Spey Bay produced a surprise in the shape of 3 Snow Buntings,
Thursday 08 October 2020
Another lovely walk around our new “local patch” with Lucky Lynda, a lot cooler today with a slight SW breeze and sunsequently birds were a bit quieter, still a good total though, Best birds for the day were brilliant views of Common and Velvet Scoter, getting the birds side by side for comparison was a great learning curve for Lynda.
Stonechats were still showing in good numbers, Males, Females and Juveniles all present,
However bird of the day again has got to be the Drake King Eider, this time slightly closer, however still too far out for a decent picture. These are the best of a bad bunch 🙂
Monday 05 October 2020
Another glorious day here on the Moray Firth and after nearly 48hrs of continual heavy rain it was nice to head out into the misty sunshine with Lucky Lynda, and once again we headed down to Findhorn Bay Dunes in search of autumn migrants. It turned out to be a cracking morning with a total of 44 Species being seen in just three hours, highlights being a juvenile Pomarine Skua harrying a late staying Sandwich Tern (one of two, this one being an adult the other a juvenile) and a very hard to see King Eider male in eclipse plumage. There were plenty of Robins in the area and a Goldcrest set my pulse racing for a few seconds, the local Stonechats once again came out to play in the sunshine.
A common wee bird and often over looked – The Hedge Sparrow
The warm weather encouraged birds to feed and the gorse and brambles buzzed with Dunnocks, Robins , Blackbirds with the occasional Blue and Great Tit.
Linnet
Smaller flocks of Linnets and Goldfinches flew overhead settling briefly on top of the gorse bushes, a single Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting, skulked around in the Marram Grass, 5 or 6 Meadow Pipits ran in front of us.
Late staying Sandwich Tern
Out on the Moray Firth a huge raft of Eiders was present just offshore, with a good number of Common Scoters nearby, small groups of Velvet Scoter buzzed low over the surface, their white wing patches gleaming in the now strong sunshine, only four Long Tailed Ducks were seen, but I expect their numbers to start increasing in the very near future, a partial summer plumaged Red Throated Diver kept company with a winter plumaged Slavonian Grebe.
Barnacle Geese
Two skeins of Barnacle Geese was a real Bonus for the morning, 1 skein of 120 birds the other with around 30 birds all flew to the east just offshore. And in the raft of Eiders a quick flash of Orange, on a large dark Eider, the male King at last! It was drifting further out when we picked it up, and we kept losing sight of it in the swell, however both Lucky Lynda and Myself got eyes on so the day was good!
And finally, as with the last day the local Stonechats put on a fantastic display.
02 and 03 October 2020
What a contrast in 24 Hrs, Friday 02 October was a beautiful sunny, calm autumnal day whereas today Saturday 03 October it is absolutely pouring with rain with flood warning issued!
Findhorn was the venue for a quick walk searching for some of the influx of Yellow Browed Warblers that have been seen all over Northern Scotland at the moment, however none had decided to grace us with its presence, As compensation though the local Stonechats put on a good performance! Two late Swallows low over the dunes was a brief reminder of the halcyon summer days.
Signs that the season is most definitely turning was the continual sound of Pink Footed Geese as they left the Bay heading our for their daytime feeding areas. Rafts of Eiders and Common Scoter loafed about just offshore in the gentle swell of the Moray Firth and a single Slavonian Grebe rounded off the hours walk.
Saturday 03 October was a damp and driech day right from the start, and off both Lucky Lynda and myself went in search for again Yellow Browed Warbler, however the weather had most certainly curtailed their movements and once again we “dipped” never mind though off the Burghead Harbour to have a look see for anything in the harbour, we were not disappointed getting cracking views of Guillemot and Sammy the resident Grey Seal. It was a great morning just to be out and about, regardless of the weather (infact it actually added to the fun!)
September 2020
Right at the of the month things stepped up at little with my first multi day trip, in the always entertaining company of Tony, or Feral Tony as we know him, Tony is a veteran of multiple UK and Spanish Birding Ecosse trips so was well aware of the operating pattern I operate 🙂
One of the recurring theme on many of Tonys previous trips with BE is the desire to see Ptarmigan, this High tops grouse that frequent the High tops of the Highlands, however bad weather or mechanical problems with the funicular railway always meant we never got anywhere near to seeing them. So to be standing on top of the Bealach na Ba, the high top road between Strathcarron and Applecross in beautiful sunshine and not a breath of wind was a step nearer than we had ever been!
The best way to search for Ptarmigan is to be very methodical, pick an area to search, set the scope on an area then don’t move it! Check every rock and boulder, look for the slightest movement before moving one scope view width left or right, then stop the scope and repeat the last instruction, It is amazing how cryptic they are.
Spot the Ptarmigan
However using this method, and a lot of perseverance sometimes you are lucky!
Well September was a milestone for Birding Ecosse in the fact we started back to tours! The first since lockdown away back in March, and it was a nice gentle break in with two half day tours with Gaie and Eric.
Target species for the first half day was to be Crested Tit and Crossbill, the latter proved very elusive, however a new spot for the Crested Tit proved a great success!
The second half day our targets were to be Eagles, either/or Golden or White Tailed.
We had not long arrived in the Valley when Eric pointed out “that’s a big bird” and he was indeed correct, as a Juvenile White Tailed Eagle hove into view, a stunning start!
Horrible lighting for photography so this is the best I could rustle up, a fantastic encounter though.
Buzzards where absolutely everywhere today, but in the distance, in a cleft in the valley another silhouette appeared, long square wings, long dark tail, a Golden Eagle! It thermalled over the hill top only giving brief glimpses but the all dark plumage showed it to be full adult, it wasn’t until we moved further down the road it became apparent that he had been scouting out a large Herd of Deer!
Cue another heap of Buzzards, plus two Kestrels, three Red Kites (Together) and Sparrowhawk up pops another Golden, this time a 2nd year bird, more distant but stayed in view longer as it transited low over the hillside, brilliant!
More Buzzards, another Kestrel and then yet again another Goldie! A great way to end the morning, and a great way to start back to touring, especially with two new victims!
Big thank you goes to Gaie and Eric, was great birding with you both.
Thursday 16 July 2020
Well you would have thought with having so much “spare time” on my hands that I would have kept this blog up to date! However for some reason life in lockdown has passed in the blink of a birding, gardening, fence erecting, photography and planning next years tours, eye!
Following on from the 15 May 20 blog, my love for bird ringing (or banding depending on where in the world you are) has grown back to my time as a newly qualified ringer, and what is nice is that Lucky Lynda has gotten the ringing bug as well.
When I lived “down south” in Angus my pet project bird to ring was Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) however since moving to the Highlands I have only dabbled with a few dune nesting birds, however this year is a Martin year!! We have a quarry within walking distance of my house, and we have permission for ringing!
The colony had four nesting faces, the two main faces are high and a tad precarious, so we have left them alone this year, but the remaining two smaller faces are spot on, and take a nice manageable 18ft net.
Our main ringing face, now having recced the site twice, once myself and once with Lucky Lynda, having briefed LL on how she would approach the colony, holding the net pole etc etc, LL getting herself into position without a hitch, it was now down to me…. a few steps up, recompose position, another step…. foot starts to slips…… scramble to remain upright….. foot still slipping in the sand… then down like a sack of spuds! Anyway regaining my footing (but not my dignity) we made a modest catch, and a lesson was learned! However is so nice being back in the company of these beautiful little birds.
Juvenile Sand Martin (not cinnamon tips to feathers)
Adult Sand Martin (note plain back, tail, and coverts)
Juvenile Sand Martin
Adult Sand Martin
A Big thank you goes to Limehillock Quarries of Spey bay for granting us permission and access to the Fairyhill Quarry in Forres.
Friday 15 May 2020
Just “Pottering” about
One good thing to come out of the Shielding lockdown is that I now have time to get some garden ringing done. The weather has not been the best for getting the mist net out however my potter traps have been absolutely brilliant.
I have been using these traps for a few years now, with some good success, however the set up for the door release was becoming more and more hit and miss with the door jamming on the wire runners,
The old setup with the bent wire being the”runner” that forms the door, this however has always been hit and miss, sometime “jamming” mid way and allowing the bird to escape. so having time on my hands I put some thought into making a more reliable runner, and the answer was easy! Split rings.
So far, in four days usage going for Starlings, not one jam and not one bird escape! Why did I not think of this before, currently using 25mm rings but would probably be better with 15mm to reduce the “play” on the door.
Monday 11 May 2020
Well quite a birdy weekend, Saturday 09 May 2020 saw us taking part in Worldwide Garden Birdwatch day, we ended up with 23 Species for the day and we are awaiting the results sometime towards the end of the week, I will post a link on this page for your perusal.
The weather has been bonkers!! roasting hot for the last three weeks, then Sunday 10 May 2020? Snow flurries and sub zero temps, just crazy!
Had a chance of yet more garden bird pictures, now experimenting with different crops on the pictures, making some looser to incorporate some of the habitat, some nice results hope you enjoy 🙂
Wednesday 06 May 2020
Another day in total lockdown, luckily the weather has been outstanding so spending a lot of time in the garden. All the usual suspect, the Male and Female Blackbird are now on chicks judging by the amount of time they spend in the garden collecting food. House Sparrows have found the new bird bath irresistible along side the Greenfinches, Siskins and Blue Tits.
A big metal whirlybird was a pleasant distraction mid afternoon, no idea what he was up to though.
Male Blackbird
Preening Starling
Male House Sparrow
PDG Helicopter over the garden.
Lockdown list update:
28. Great Black Backed Gull
29. Swift
Sunday 03 May 2020
It is funny how life comes full circle sometimes. One of my very earliest memories of taking bird pictures was when I was about 10 or 11 years old and living in Arbroath, I remember placing two old wooden fishing boxes together with a gap in the middle, I then placed a blanket over the top and crept into the covered space below. Wielding my parents 110 camera my target for the day was the local House Sparrows.
Roll on 46 years and I found myself today sitting comfortably (not lying between two fish boxes) with a cup of coffee, with slightly better equipment, but still photographing, and still thoroughly enjoying myself, taking pics of the humble House Sparrow, simple pleasures!
Saturday 02 May 2020
Great day in the garden, first off, on opening the lounge blinds a Coal Tit on the sunflower heart feeder, not seen one in the garden for a few weeks.
4 Male Siskin was the “Forres singlies branch” meeting, obviously non-breeders.
6 Greenfinch was one of my highest counts of this relatively new visitor to the garden.
Our resident Blackbird female in now up to four baths a day, at least, and holds the record for cleanest bird.
Highlight for the day was a very very high up Sparrowhawk getting beaten up by a local Carrion Crow.
No. 27 Sparrowhawk.
The hunter is hunted, Sparrowhawk getting attacked by Carrion Crow.
Friday 24 April 2020
19:00
26. House Martin 🙂
Today is a good day, first thing this morning whilst walking around the garden picked up a singing Blackcap and Song Thrush, however absolutely the best bird of lockdown so far was a very very distant Osprey, probably hunting over the river Findhorn. Happy days!
23. Swallow (22 April 2020)
24. Song Thrush
25. Osprey
(Blackcap, singing only, not seen)
Thursday 23 April 2020
End of week four total lockdown, still having fun with the Garden birds. We are having some beautiful weather up here, four days and not a cloud in the sky. It means I am now topping up the bird bath three times a day. You don’t realise how important water is until you actually sit and watch at how many birds visit the water for a drink or bathe (Blackbirds are by far the cleanest bird in my garden!)
Blue Tit
Goldfinch
Male Chaffinch
Our House reflected in a Chaffinches eye 🙂
Tuesday 21 April 2020
Well that is us into week four of my twelve week lockdown, Had fun watching the local Rooks trying to balance of the fence in the gusty wind, they are a smart looking bird and nearly always over looked.
Another highlight of the evening was introducing “the other arf” to proper DSLR photography with some of my unused kit, I may have created a monster, as sitting here typing this all I can hear is shutter action in the garden!
Friday 17 April 2020
What to do in Lockdown? Well how about starting a Lockdown Bird List? And that is exactly what I have started to do, so any birds in or seen from my House/Garden, also trying to get some nice pictures of the birds that call into my feeders. Surprisingly good fun! So my list and pictures so far (in no particular order) Some images are better than others so the other challenge is improving the bad ones!
1, Woodpigeon
2, Chaffinch
3, Goldfinch
4. Blue Tit
5. Great Tit
6. Coal Tit
7. Siskin
8. Greenfinch
9. Pied Wagtail
10. Dunnock
11 House Sparrow (Male)
11 House Sparrow (Female)
12. Starling
13. Blackbird (Female)
14. Rook
15. Jackdaw
16. Herring Gull
17.Grey Heron
18. Pink Footed Goose
19. Black Headed Gull.
20. Oystercatcher.
21. Robin.
22 Carrion Crow.
Wednesday 15 April 2020.
So how are we all coping in these very strange times? Things here in the North are as well as can be expected, keeping busy studying my garden birds and awaiting the first Hirundines, cant be far off now.
Prior to having my wings clipped and being house/garden bound for 12 weeks (9 weeks to go!) I managed a an early Chiffchaff and great views of Bullfinch, however they were the “Good old days” and now resorted to pictures of Dunnocks, a surprisingly colourful wee bird!
Chiffchaff
Bullfinch
Dunnock
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Wednesday 19 February 2020
Just a quick blog to say what a fantastic day I had with Glynis and Dave today on the Moray Firth. Lots and lots of birds but highlights had to be a female Goshawk, not far from the place we had the female a couple of weeks ago and the sheer amount of waders seen, more to come later, however these Bar Tailed Godwits in the morning sunshine stole the show for me!
Fri 07 to Sun 09 February 2020
Birding Ecosse Weekend v Storm Ciara!
Well where do we start, Storm Ciara had been announced, gale force winds, heavy rain and snow and major disruption imminent, this all seemed so far away as we stood looking over a flat calm sunny Moray Firth! It was not to last…….
Richard and Val survey a flat calm Moray Firth
What followed was three days of wild weather, lots of laughs and some truly brilliant birds, highlight for me and mentioned at this point to protect the location was a huge female Goshawk, flushed from a heather covered moor.
Anyway the Moray coast was stunning in the pre-storm lull Eider and Long Tailed Ducks zipped about low over the water and rafts of Common Scoter, with the occasional flash of white wing patch of a Velvet Scoter drifted on the calm waters, Purple Sandpipers fed on weed strewn rocks alongside Redshank, Purple Sandpiper and two Sanderling.
Loch Spynie was absolutely Choc a Bloc with Swans, all Mutes apart from two slightly bemused looking Whooper Swans.
The Mute Swans were getting romantic with each, the spring like weather that had started their amorous side would soon be gone and the winter blues would be back!
A Robin caught out by the sunshine, 24 hrs later it would be huddling deep in the undergrowth keeping out of the storm
Young Herring Gull grabbing a quick bite for lunch
Saturday dawned quite bright and a wee bit breezy, but a huge angry bank of cloud brooded out to the west, but it didn’t deter Birding Ecosse and out we set with high hopes.
Lochindorb resembled the North sea with white horses being whipped off the wave tops, good numbers of Goldeneyes were dotted across the surface with the occasional Tufted thrown in for good measure, the above picture of a female Goldeneye gives a more unusual view. Red Grouse were about but hunkered deep down in the heather, a nice flock of Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare and Redwing were seen on the roads leading to the moors.
Cairngorm was a tad breezy, but quite bright, and gave great views of the Snow Bunting, well over 60 birds in the flock today, the most I have seen in the past few years
Sunday saw us in the grip of Ciara, and as we headed towards the Black Isle with some trepidation, a quick detour into Inverness let us connect with a small flock of 40 Waxwings, the rain was monsoon heavy and the wind had increased to a howling gale, photography was a challenge trying to keep the kit dry!
The Black Isle was surprisingly calm and clear, the tides were epic, and looking out from the hide car park at Udale bay I have never seen the water so high. This picture below was taken 2 hours before high tide!
Hundred of Wigeon mingled with Teal, Lapwings, Oystercatchers, Dunlin and lone Black Tailed Godwit and Ruddy Shelduck! The Shelduck adding a beautiful splash of colour.
The Scaup flock looked smaller than it has been and remained stubbornly far out in the Firth, however through our Swarovski scopes we still had lovely views, a nice winter plumaged Slavonian Grebe fed in the shallows near to shore, note the raindrops on the water….. yes the rain had found us!
The stormy seas did give some nice photo ops with the Wigeons though!
Calling time on the Black Isle it was back to the southern side of the firth and to Nairn in search of the Brent Goose flock, we didnt have to search too hard! 40 Birds were present at our very stop and we picked them up within 10 seconds of leaving the car!
Final stop was Burghead harbour to try and get Richard some decent views of Eider before he headed south, they didn’t disappoint.
And so that ended the weekend, given the weather an extremely successful three days, 87 species seen and I think 13 or 14 lifers for Richard and a couple for Val, great company all weekend so a big thank you to you both, and also thank you to Richard for providing Birding Ecosse with a new strapline, that all future victims should note:
‘It’s not all about you!’
Catchy, I think I will keep it 🙂
Wednesday 05 February 2020
Nestled in some stunning Scottish Pine Woodland lies the beautiful ‘Blairs Loch’ just 3 minutes 34 seconds drive from my front door. It really is a great place to have a walk and clear your head. Add to this some brilliant birding it is a place I am lucky to have so close.
Flocks of Blue, Great and Coal Tit greet you as you get out of your car and head down a mixed woodland path, Goldcrest and Treecreeper are regular here, as you approach the Loch the tchurrup of Moorheen and the Whistle of Wigeon fills the air and today they were joined with the whinnying call of Little Grebe and the whooomph whooomph whooomph of Mute Swans wings as they circled the Loch before landing in their rather ungainly way.
Highlight for me though was the male and female Common Crossbill feeding High in a Pine tree, I was first attracted by the make being in full song! A great way to spend a couple of hours!
Friday 31 January 2020
Sit down, grab a cuppy and nibble and enjoy the Birding Ecosse February 2020 Newsletter Viewable Here. If you enjoy it why not subscribe? Fancy joining a tour or trip? Then just get in touch and we do the rest.
Monday 20 January 2020
Well today saw the first tour of 2020, and what a way to kick off the year than with long suffering victim Jackie, who was on my very very first ever Birding Ecosse workshop, nearly nine years ago!! How time flies!
Today was ” Coast to Mountain” and what a day it turned out to be.
First stop was the beautiful Burghead Harbour, target species here was Long Tailed Duck that had been reported near the harbour entrance, they didn’t disappoint.
Heading inland we encountered what for me was the bird of the day, this fine female Merlin.
Lochindorb was quiet, but this really confiding Goldeneye was an interesting bird, one side looking like a female, the other showing black feathering pointing to a 1st year male.
Speaking to Jackie about Bogie birds, she said hers were Crossbill and Treecreeper. Well here at Birding Ecosse we aim to please 🙂
With the gales blowing at the time the trip up Cairngorm was shelved and we headed for the shelter of Loch Garten, and yes the Crested Tit did show well.
And one of the locals put in an appearance:
The tradition of feeding the birds was upheld, and Jackie even found her own second lifer and broke her second bogie bird in the shape of a Treecreeper!
And just to add the icing on top of the cake were there super close views of this male Goldcrest.
Final stop of the day was the beautiful Findhorn Valley, it was very quite on the way up the valley, but boy did that change on the return journey, no fewer than 6 Golden Eagles, all separate birds, with at one point three birds ion view at once!
As we got nearly half way down the valley I made the comment “it would be nice to finish with a White Tailed Eagle, as it would mean we would have seen the smallest and largest breeding birds in the UK” and lo! from behjind the tree popped up an immature WTE, the hastily grabbed picture shows the bird had been feeding well with a very engorged crop! And then just as we drove off White Tailed Eagle Numero 2 glided into view! An incredible way to end an incredible day!
If this is the sign of things to come in 2020 the I really cannot wait, bring it on!
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