IanF
Saturday 26th July 2003, 22:55
Between 7th -14th June 2003 my wife and I had a week long holiday in Speyside, Scotland staying at Boat of Garten in self-catering accommodation. As has become the trend I’ll post this report divided into several sections.
7th June – Set off at 5.10 am from Billingham taking the A1/A68. It was a good choice of timing as never ran into any heavy traffic the whole journey. Even the weather was decent with blue skies. By 8.20 am we had reached RSPB Vane Farm on Loch Leven. Despite the early hour we decided to have a quick look around, though the reserve itself didn’t open until 10.00 am. I think it was a little early for the birds too as we didn’t sight very much though we did espy our first Buzzard of the week soaring above the crags.
Next stop was RSPB Loch of the Lowes about three miles east of Dunkeld, just off the A9. By now the sun had come out and we arrived dead on the10.00 am opening time. It was a superb location for Osprey last year and it didn’t disappoint again. In fact there were a lot of birds in the woods along the path approaching the centre including Siskin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker. We chose the upper level of the hide and sure enough we had excellent views of the Osprey nest containing the female and three chicks. I had set my camera on ‘continuous’ shooting mode and was merrily snapping away when the male suddenly appeared, with a small trout in it’s claws and landed on the nest.
Osprey with fish (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7890)
Another shot (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7889)
Both adults started feeding the fish to the young, not that a fish of that size took long to eat. As soon as it was gone he was off again, leaving her with the chicks.
Osprey and chicks (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7957)
Also on the loch were a Mute Swan family
Mute swan family (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8122)
and a Great Crested Grebe. There were no eggs that day, but one week later on our return south, one egg had been laid.
Great Crested Grebe (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8121)
We then carried on travelling north, our next stop being at Pitlochry for lunch. We had a walk down to the salmon ladder by the dam. There were only a couple of parr in the viewing windows, but both above and below the dam several salmon were jumping. Quite a few were resting above the dam presumably after the ordeal of climbing the ladder.
Salmon (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8181)
We sat and had a picnic in the sun, sharing our food with Black Headed Gulls.
Black Headed Gull (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8182)
and Jackdaws which were as common as our pigeons are back home.
Jackdaw (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8184)
After lunch we carried on north along the A9 in pleasant sunny conditions. By 3.00 pm we had arrived at our destination, Chalet Morlich in Boat of Garten, just north of Aviemore. It is a wooden chalet in the grounds of a guest house and suited our needs perfectly. In the garden were larch trees and several feeders attracting Red Squirrel and Chaffinch and Siskin whilst we were there. After unpacking we had the first of several visits to RSPB Loch Garten, only three miles away. Only one Osprey was present and it transpired that they had failed to breed for a second year running. There was however a male Capercaillie in the process of destroying a young fir tree for food. Unfortunately due to the strong heat haze, photos were impossible. Outside the centre the feeders were as active as ever with Red Squirrel, Siskin and Greenfinch.
Red Squirrel (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8333)
Siskin male (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8331)
Greenfinch (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8339)
We then headed down to Aviemore for a bite to eat at the Winking Owl, not much to look at but delicious bar meals and a good atmosphere. After dinner we had a walk around Boat of Garten discovering Loch Milton, a large pond in the village which has it’s own Hernonry of about a dozen birds, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe and Geese. It’s been known to attract Slavonian Grebe. A new hide has been recently built and a reserve area created where we found Spotted Flycatcher, nesting Willow Warbler and Barn Swallow and Sand Martin.
It was a great start to our holiday and to cap it all Star Wars IV was on TV that night ;)
End of part one.
7th June – Set off at 5.10 am from Billingham taking the A1/A68. It was a good choice of timing as never ran into any heavy traffic the whole journey. Even the weather was decent with blue skies. By 8.20 am we had reached RSPB Vane Farm on Loch Leven. Despite the early hour we decided to have a quick look around, though the reserve itself didn’t open until 10.00 am. I think it was a little early for the birds too as we didn’t sight very much though we did espy our first Buzzard of the week soaring above the crags.
Next stop was RSPB Loch of the Lowes about three miles east of Dunkeld, just off the A9. By now the sun had come out and we arrived dead on the10.00 am opening time. It was a superb location for Osprey last year and it didn’t disappoint again. In fact there were a lot of birds in the woods along the path approaching the centre including Siskin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker. We chose the upper level of the hide and sure enough we had excellent views of the Osprey nest containing the female and three chicks. I had set my camera on ‘continuous’ shooting mode and was merrily snapping away when the male suddenly appeared, with a small trout in it’s claws and landed on the nest.
Osprey with fish (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7890)
Another shot (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7889)
Both adults started feeding the fish to the young, not that a fish of that size took long to eat. As soon as it was gone he was off again, leaving her with the chicks.
Osprey and chicks (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=7957)
Also on the loch were a Mute Swan family
Mute swan family (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8122)
and a Great Crested Grebe. There were no eggs that day, but one week later on our return south, one egg had been laid.
Great Crested Grebe (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8121)
We then carried on travelling north, our next stop being at Pitlochry for lunch. We had a walk down to the salmon ladder by the dam. There were only a couple of parr in the viewing windows, but both above and below the dam several salmon were jumping. Quite a few were resting above the dam presumably after the ordeal of climbing the ladder.
Salmon (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8181)
We sat and had a picnic in the sun, sharing our food with Black Headed Gulls.
Black Headed Gull (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8182)
and Jackdaws which were as common as our pigeons are back home.
Jackdaw (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8184)
After lunch we carried on north along the A9 in pleasant sunny conditions. By 3.00 pm we had arrived at our destination, Chalet Morlich in Boat of Garten, just north of Aviemore. It is a wooden chalet in the grounds of a guest house and suited our needs perfectly. In the garden were larch trees and several feeders attracting Red Squirrel and Chaffinch and Siskin whilst we were there. After unpacking we had the first of several visits to RSPB Loch Garten, only three miles away. Only one Osprey was present and it transpired that they had failed to breed for a second year running. There was however a male Capercaillie in the process of destroying a young fir tree for food. Unfortunately due to the strong heat haze, photos were impossible. Outside the centre the feeders were as active as ever with Red Squirrel, Siskin and Greenfinch.
Red Squirrel (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8333)
Siskin male (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8331)
Greenfinch (http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=8339)
We then headed down to Aviemore for a bite to eat at the Winking Owl, not much to look at but delicious bar meals and a good atmosphere. After dinner we had a walk around Boat of Garten discovering Loch Milton, a large pond in the village which has it’s own Hernonry of about a dozen birds, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Little Grebe and Geese. It’s been known to attract Slavonian Grebe. A new hide has been recently built and a reserve area created where we found Spotted Flycatcher, nesting Willow Warbler and Barn Swallow and Sand Martin.
It was a great start to our holiday and to cap it all Star Wars IV was on TV that night ;)
End of part one.