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The Highlands and Islands Thread (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter TheSeagull
- Start date
jpoyner
Well-known member
Did it cross the border? :t:
Greetings Highlands Birders,
Are there any educated guesses or direct experiences with Dotterel in the Cairngorm region this week? I think I'll be able to get there Saturday and am planning to walk up from the highest parking lot at the ski area. Ptarmigan are also on the list, but I've seen conflicting information from past years about how long the Dotterel stick around.
Thank you!
Kurk
Are there any educated guesses or direct experiences with Dotterel in the Cairngorm region this week? I think I'll be able to get there Saturday and am planning to walk up from the highest parking lot at the ski area. Ptarmigan are also on the list, but I've seen conflicting information from past years about how long the Dotterel stick around.
Thank you!
Kurk
jpoyner
Well-known member
Dotterel should still be around I would think.
jpoyner
Well-known member
Single bird on the Spey near Grantown a while back, but still a very tough bird to track down along this river.
Ratal
Well-known member
Agreed. A very elusive blighter despite that electric colouring!
The Swift hitting the power lines though - ouch.
DMKSlater
Well-known member
Redwing at Carrbridge, in the playing field behind the Kiddies play park in main car park near to public loo's. (Fuzzy pictures on http://birdingecosse.co.uk/birding-ecosse-blog/) as per Birding Ecosse
gordon hamlett
Well-known member
recent sightings
Sorry or the delay in posting - no internet access where we were staying.
Saturday August 23rd
Insh Marshes - 38+ Swifts just ahead of a storm front
Sunday 24th - Findhorn Valley (Strathdearn) - 2 goldies, WTE and two juv peregrines beating the place up. I wheatear reported
Monday 25th - juv redstart in woods by house at Lochindorb - first I have seen there. 150 Golden Plovers and 6+ ospreys at Findhorn Bay
Tuesday 26th - 1 wheatear approaching Ullapool. Ullapool to Stornaway ferry. Conditions like a millpond, consequently most birds sitting on sea so not great views - totals given are for there and back
3 harbour porpoises in Loch broom
40-50 Bonxies
3 Arctic Skuas
1 Arctic Tern
6 Kittiwakes
150+ Fulmars
2,000+ Guillemots
40 Razorbills
2 Puffins
750+ Gannets
50+ Manx Shearwaters
1 Balearic Shearwater flying right next to ferry
1 Cory's Shearwater - very scruffy bird seen going and returning
Several pods of dolphins totalling 50+
My wife had four storm petrels which appeared just as I had taken the first mouthful of my sandwich and which had disappeared by the time I had spat it out
We also sat on the 'wrong side of the boat' coming back and missed some whales (presumably Minke)
Wednesday 27th Crestie at Allt Mor. Missed Hen Harrier at Insh - ringtail reported at 1pm
Thursday 28th Udale Bay
90 golden plovers
50 knot
100 barwits
1-2 blackwits
3-4 greenshanks
2 dunlin
300 oystercatchers
50 redshanks
150 wigeon
200 sandwich terns
Osprey perched in front of hide for two hours
Spoke to a local couple (Sue and Hugh if they are reading this) who had been there the day before when the lesser legs had been reported but had disappeared just before they arrived. It was being watched by some 'expert birders' who thought that it was the Strathbeg bird. It was seen in with teal to start with before joining the redshank flock. Naturally, there was no sign when we looked...
Friday 29th ringtail hen harrier near Drumochter seen from A9
Swallows were on the move all week. Thousands noted starting with 500 roosting at Wetherby service station in Yorkshire as we drove up, and then parties of a dozen or so seen everywhere we went. In comparison, less than 30 house martins and less than ten sand martins.
Also had far more casual sightings of grey wagtails than for many a year, despite the huge decrease in their numbers nationwide.
Gordon
Sorry or the delay in posting - no internet access where we were staying.
Saturday August 23rd
Insh Marshes - 38+ Swifts just ahead of a storm front
Sunday 24th - Findhorn Valley (Strathdearn) - 2 goldies, WTE and two juv peregrines beating the place up. I wheatear reported
Monday 25th - juv redstart in woods by house at Lochindorb - first I have seen there. 150 Golden Plovers and 6+ ospreys at Findhorn Bay
Tuesday 26th - 1 wheatear approaching Ullapool. Ullapool to Stornaway ferry. Conditions like a millpond, consequently most birds sitting on sea so not great views - totals given are for there and back
3 harbour porpoises in Loch broom
40-50 Bonxies
3 Arctic Skuas
1 Arctic Tern
6 Kittiwakes
150+ Fulmars
2,000+ Guillemots
40 Razorbills
2 Puffins
750+ Gannets
50+ Manx Shearwaters
1 Balearic Shearwater flying right next to ferry
1 Cory's Shearwater - very scruffy bird seen going and returning
Several pods of dolphins totalling 50+
My wife had four storm petrels which appeared just as I had taken the first mouthful of my sandwich and which had disappeared by the time I had spat it out
We also sat on the 'wrong side of the boat' coming back and missed some whales (presumably Minke)
Wednesday 27th Crestie at Allt Mor. Missed Hen Harrier at Insh - ringtail reported at 1pm
Thursday 28th Udale Bay
90 golden plovers
50 knot
100 barwits
1-2 blackwits
3-4 greenshanks
2 dunlin
300 oystercatchers
50 redshanks
150 wigeon
200 sandwich terns
Osprey perched in front of hide for two hours
Spoke to a local couple (Sue and Hugh if they are reading this) who had been there the day before when the lesser legs had been reported but had disappeared just before they arrived. It was being watched by some 'expert birders' who thought that it was the Strathbeg bird. It was seen in with teal to start with before joining the redshank flock. Naturally, there was no sign when we looked...
Friday 29th ringtail hen harrier near Drumochter seen from A9
Swallows were on the move all week. Thousands noted starting with 500 roosting at Wetherby service station in Yorkshire as we drove up, and then parties of a dozen or so seen everywhere we went. In comparison, less than 30 house martins and less than ten sand martins.
Also had far more casual sightings of grey wagtails than for many a year, despite the huge decrease in their numbers nationwide.
Gordon
Sandra (Taylor)
Well-known member
Good to read your report, Gordon. I expect much of this movement will be over by the time we get up there:- Mull from 20th Sept/Boat from 27th but this report has just whetted my appetite.
Sandra
gordon hamlett
Well-known member
Most of the interest will be round the coast - the interior can seem really empty as the migrants ship out early.
Check any of the bays to the north for waders, divers etc. The lighthouse at Stoer Point should produce some good seawatching and/or cetaceans.
First Barnacle geese if you are lucky
Migrant flocks of meadow pipits are often accompanied by Icelandic Merlins.
Look for Golden Eagles hunting the ridges of the bigger mountains plus white-tailed eagle round the coast.
The walk round Little Assynt Estate has an all ability trail and should produce a glorious palette of autumn colours as well as views of any birds remaining on the moors.
South of the Lochinver, the river at Inverkirkaig has dippers and a good selection of common species. The bookshop there might even have my book in stock
HTH
Gordon Hamlett - author of the Best Birdwatching Sites: Scottish Highlands
Thanks for the input Gordon, much appreciated.
Well I had my holiday in Lochinver and so did the birdlife, who also seemed to have gone away on holiday. Weather was perfect for me, warm, no wind and sunny most days
Went to Knockan Crag, Old man Stoer Falls of Kirkcaig, Achnaharaid Bay and Reiff. Plenty of small birds about most areas, mainly meadow pipits, robin and pied wagtail, and around Achanaird and Reiff, starlings a plenty. The coastal areas were very disappointing with only 2 diving ducks and a very small amount of gulls. Eventually got a few birds far out on the rocks at Reiff, but a bit far away to get a decent ID, except for cormorants.
Only interesting bird on River Inver was a rather splendid grey wagtail
Did manage to get this gull at Achanaird beach but not sure what, it was all white perhaps a juvenile bird which is why I cant ID
Well I had my holiday in Lochinver and so did the birdlife, who also seemed to have gone away on holiday. Weather was perfect for me, warm, no wind and sunny most days
Went to Knockan Crag, Old man Stoer Falls of Kirkcaig, Achnaharaid Bay and Reiff. Plenty of small birds about most areas, mainly meadow pipits, robin and pied wagtail, and around Achanaird and Reiff, starlings a plenty. The coastal areas were very disappointing with only 2 diving ducks and a very small amount of gulls. Eventually got a few birds far out on the rocks at Reiff, but a bit far away to get a decent ID, except for cormorants.
Only interesting bird on River Inver was a rather splendid grey wagtail
Did manage to get this gull at Achanaird beach but not sure what, it was all white perhaps a juvenile bird which is why I cant ID
Attachments
gordon hamlett
Well-known member
An excellent record. It's a Glaucous Gull - note the lack of any black in its wing tips - one of the two 'white-winged' gulls that turn up here in small numbers - the other is Iceland Gull. They normally turn up much later in the winter.Reported there again today
Gordon
Scrub much of that - I've just heard that the bird has probably oversummered
Gordon
Last edited:
gordon hamlett
Well-known member
Hi,
Loch garten is as good as anywhere. Even though the centre itself is closed, you can still walk down the path there. Look for large flocks of coal tits and check them out. Also the walk from Loch Garten to Loch Mallachi and, if you are heading up to Cairngorm, stop at Allt Mor (about a mile beyond the Glenmore visitor centre) and walk the loop there.
For Ptarmigan, go up in the funicular, come out onto the viewing platform and check the boulder field to your right.
Hope this helps
Gordon - author of Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands
Loch garten is as good as anywhere. Even though the centre itself is closed, you can still walk down the path there. Look for large flocks of coal tits and check them out. Also the walk from Loch Garten to Loch Mallachi and, if you are heading up to Cairngorm, stop at Allt Mor (about a mile beyond the Glenmore visitor centre) and walk the loop there.
For Ptarmigan, go up in the funicular, come out onto the viewing platform and check the boulder field to your right.
Hope this helps
Gordon - author of Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands
DMKSlater
Well-known member
Ullapool to Stornoway Ferry
Tuesday 07 Oct 2014:
Brilliant return trip today, 1 x sabines Gull (imm) mixing with flock of imm Kittiwakes. 25 Pomarine Skuas, mostly adults many still sporting full "spooned" tails, 4 Brambling in off sea and landing on ferry 2 Dunlin flying in front of ferry mid Minch, many many Bonxie and Arctic Skuas. Smaller numbers of Petrel (2 Storm Petrel) and Manx Shearwaters (total of 3 birds) Common Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise, 2 Rissos and 2 Minke.
Tuesday 07 Oct 2014:
Brilliant return trip today, 1 x sabines Gull (imm) mixing with flock of imm Kittiwakes. 25 Pomarine Skuas, mostly adults many still sporting full "spooned" tails, 4 Brambling in off sea and landing on ferry 2 Dunlin flying in front of ferry mid Minch, many many Bonxie and Arctic Skuas. Smaller numbers of Petrel (2 Storm Petrel) and Manx Shearwaters (total of 3 birds) Common Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise, 2 Rissos and 2 Minke.
AncientBrit
Member
Cresties
The place where we found cresties most easily in early October a couple of years ago was round the car park for Loch Mallachie about 1/2 a mile NW of the main Loch Garten car park (as described in Gordon's excellent book!)
We parked and got out, and had good views within a couple of minutes (and close to the car park!)
The place where we found cresties most easily in early October a couple of years ago was round the car park for Loch Mallachie about 1/2 a mile NW of the main Loch Garten car park (as described in Gordon's excellent book!)
We parked and got out, and had good views within a couple of minutes (and close to the car park!)
