Merlins in Scotland. (1 Viewer)

WhiteTailed22 · Mar 27, 2017

Been a birdwatcher for many years but only today found this forum. I think it's great to have a place where you can discuss birdwatching. If only I'd found this place sooner.

One bird that I have always wanted to see is a Merlin but with no such luck yet i'm afraid. I know they are pretty rare but I feel if I can get to the right places, I should be able to see one soon.

Does anyone know any particularly good places to see these birds in Scotland? I'm heading up to Aviemore next week as I do every year so a place near there would be even more beneficial haha. Actually, I thought I may have seen one in Aviemore a number of years ago but I was never too sure so I can't rely on it.

Any replies are greatly appreciated!

Richard Prior · Mar 27, 2017

Don't know about Aviemore for Merlin, but we saw the species frequently when we visited North Uist and Lewis in May a couple of years back.

WhiteTailed22 · Mar 27, 2017

Richard Prior said:
Don't know about Aviemore for Merlin, but we saw the species frequently when we visited North Uist and Lewis in May a couple of years back.

Thanks for the reply! I was in Harris last summer but never got the chance to explore Lewis / North Uist properly. One for the future for sure though.

Johnny1 · Mar 27, 2017

Saw a Merlin try to take a ring ouzel last year near the black grouse viewpoint half way up the Cairngorms where the old ski lift station is.

Andrew Whitehouse · Mar 27, 2017

I'd probably recommend the west Highlands and Hebrides over Speyside for Merlins, although they could turn up anywhere. Quite a big factor in my experience is the time of year. I've always seen Merlins far more frequently in spring (mid-March to mid-May) and autumn (mid-August to late November) than in summer or winter.

WhiteTailed22 · Mar 27, 2017

Johnny1 said:
Saw a Merlin try to take a ring ouzel last year near the black grouse viewpoint half way up the Cairngorms where the old ski lift station is.

Wow, that must have been quite a sight.

WhiteTailed22 · Mar 27, 2017

Andrew Whitehouse said:
I'd probably recommend the west Highlands and Hebrides over Speyside for Merlins, although they could turn up anywhere. Quite a big factor in my experience is the time of year. I've always seen Merlins far more frequently in spring (mid-March to mid-May) and autumn (mid-August to late November) than in summer or winter.

Yeah I absolutely agree. They definitely seem more plentiful in Lewis/Uist/Harris etc. It's a bird I have always wanted to see. Same for my dad and he's been birdwatching for 50 years!

gordon hamlett · Mar 28, 2017

If you are staying near Aviemore, head down the Findhorn Valley (Strathdearn) to the car park at the bottom of the road (Coignafearn). If a Golden Eagle flies through, the local pair of Merlins often come out to mob it. They will also have a pop at other raptors, including Buzzard and Peregrine, as well as Ravens. Stand with the river to your back and keep watching the skyline. They really are tiny though. When you realise that the tiny dot on the mountain top is a red deer stag, you have to adjust your scale accordingly.

HTH

Gordon Hamlett, Author of The Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands

WhiteTailed22 · Mar 28, 2017

gordon hamlett said:
If you are staying near Aviemore, head down the Findhorn Valley (Strathdearn) to the car park at the bottom of the road (Coignafearn). If a Golden Eagle flies through, the local pair of Merlins often come out to mob it. They will also have a pop at other raptors, including Buzzard and Peregrine, as well as Ravens. Stand with the river to your back and keep watching the skyline. They really are tiny though. When you realise that the tiny dot on the mountain top is a red deer stag, you have to adjust your scale accordingly.

HTH

Gordon Hamlett, Author of The Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands

Thanks for the reply, Gordon. You've been very helpful.

jpoyner · Apr 2, 2017

gordon hamlett said:
If you are staying near Aviemore, head down the Findhorn Valley (Strathdearn) to the car park at the bottom of the road (Coignafearn). If a Golden Eagle flies through, the local pair of Merlins often come out to mob it. They will also have a pop at other raptors, including Buzzard and Peregrine, as well as Ravens. Stand with the river to your back and keep watching the skyline. They really are tiny though. When you realise that the tiny dot on the mountain top is a red deer stag, you have to adjust your scale accordingly.

HTH

Gordon Hamlett, Author of The Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands

Worth noting that several pairs of Kestrels also breed in that area and will do the same, looking very small at a distance compared to a Goldie and when flying erratically mobbing an eagle structure/size can be hard to judge. There is often the assumption made by birders that due to location it must be a Merlin without thoroughly checking the bird in a scope, especially at a distance.

tarric · May 17, 2017

Merlin

We normally get a few pairs breeding down here. Spent last year watching a pair raise 5 chicks with the added advantage of hen harriers to.

Moadib · May 18, 2017

I've seen them hunting over the saltmarsh at Tyninghame, John Muir Country Park. Perhaps more often during the shorter days. but that's a reasonable place.

Vipers · May 18, 2017

I've seen Merlin from the Farr Road up above the Findhorn Valley a few times.

Merlins in Scotland. (1 Viewer)

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