The Highlands and Islands Thread (11 Viewers)

[Ratal]

Hi all,

I'm heading up to Scotland in just over a week's time (11th to 15th) as I felt that it was about time that I finally caught up with some of the Scottish specialities. Specifically: Crested Tit, Scottish Crossbill, Parrot Crossbill and Capercaillie are my target birds. Naturally, I'm heading over to the Loch Garten area but was wondering in particular about good spots and tactics for any of these species or it there are any other areas that I should also consider. Any advice on any of these species would be much appreciated

Adam

Loch Morlich perimeter to the Cairngorm Club footbridge is a superb walk for Crossbills, Cresties and practically every bird specie of the Highlands. It s a 5 mile walk there and back but great birding territory. Sheet 403 Ordinance Survey. Capers sit UP trees so remember that!

 

[jpoyner]

Mustn't forget there are also many decent photographers out there too, who do not disturb wildlife.....as usual it's the selfish few.

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Sadly reckless disturbance of a male Caper locally mainly by people chasing it with cameras, has now led to the Police becoming involved. If you have photos of that bird I certainly wouldn't be showing them off all over the internet!! It was perfectly visible from vehicles with no need to get out and chase it all over the forest. In the past, CCTV cameras have been set to record such criminal activity.......smile!!!!

I generally steer clear of Speyside during April/May so I have not seen any of the events first hand.

What did the reckless disturbance entail?

 

[gnome]

Loch Morlich perimeter to the Cairngorm Club footbridge is a superb walk for Crossbills, Cresties and practically every bird specie of the Highlands. It s a 5 mile walk there and back but great birding territory. Sheet 403 Ordinance Survey. Capers sit UP trees so remember that!

Thanks very much for that, I'll give that a go!

 

[jpoyner]

I generally steer clear of Speyside during April/May so I have not seen any of the events first hand.

What did the reckless disturbance entail?

Chasing after the bird on foot to get a photo while it was lekking, preventing any females being attracted in to mate with it by standing around in the forest....doesn't get much more reckless than that.

 

[Ratal]

Chasing after the bird on foot to get a photo while it was lekking, preventing any females being attracted in to mate with it by standing around in the forest....doesn't get much more reckless than that.

:storm:

It never ceases to amaze me how damn dumb people can be when it comes to wild life watching of any kind. Americans a few weeks back needed lynching. They deliberately sprinted towards the seals resting on the sand bar to make them dash into the water. The panic was terrible and these two ########s stood their cameras out laughing.

:storm:

 

[John Fordham]

Chasing after the bird on foot to get a photo while it was lekking, preventing any females being attracted in to mate with it by standing around in the forest....doesn't get much more reckless than that.

I was talking last week, John, to the Estate manager/gamekeeper/whomever responsible for managing the land locally and has been keeping an eye, daily, on comings and goings around the caper site. He told me that they have been thinking of catching and relocating the bird - he wasn't sure whether it would happen as concern related to its age - its been there for ~7 years I gather. He also told me that the police had concerns about cars parking on the roadside on a narrow lane and potential for accidents with 'white van drivers' speeding round the bends.

 

[jpoyner]

I was talking last week, John, to the Estate manager/gamekeeper/whomever responsible for managing the land locally and has been keeping an eye, daily, on comings and goings around the caper site. He told me that they have been thinking of catching and relocating the bird - he wasn't sure whether it would happen as concern related to its age - its been there for ~7 years I gather. He also told me that the police had concerns about cars parking on the roadside on a narrow lane and potential for accidents with 'white van drivers' speeding round the bends.

Not sure that "relocation" has much effect really.....Capercaillie have wings and like roads/tracks to grit from and if it's an older bird the risk to it's life from stress of moving isn't such a clever idea either. Relocate those disturbing it instead, preferably to the north pole.

 

[colin piper]

Loch Vaa
I'm recently back from a week in Speyside and was struck by the general lack of birds. Is everything late as a result of the weather?
I haven't been there for several years but Loch Vaa has always been one of my favourite spots. We saw a common sandpiper and nothing else! There were two minibuses full of kids loading up in the car park as we arrived, maybe they had disturbed everything else.
Any comments from locals or other visitors would be welcome.

 

[jpoyner]

Loch Vaa
I'm recently back from a week in Speyside and was struck by the general lack of birds. Is everything late as a result of the weather?
I haven't been there for several years but Loch Vaa has always been one of my favourite spots. We saw a common sandpiper and nothing else! There were two minibuses full of kids loading up in the car park as we arrived, maybe they had disturbed everything else.
Any comments from locals or other visitors would be welcome.

Everything was very late and cold weather delayed a lot of breeding and song well in to May. Back to normal pretty much now .....unless you're after Crossbill which seem to have done a bunk as there are few cones to feed on.

 

[devon.birder]

Everything was very late and cold weather delayed a lot of breeding and song well in to May. Back to normal pretty much now .....unless you're after Crossbill which seem to have done a bunk as there are few cones to feed on.

A friend of mine found a few Crossbills in the plantations just past the glider club at Feshiebridge. It wasn't clear from his photos though whether or not they were Scottish. Roger

 

[jpoyner]

Seems to have been an influx of Common Crossbills recently with birds seen around Abernethy and Nethybridge.

 

[gordon hamlett]

checkers wanted

New chapters of Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands now available for anyone to check including

Upper Deeside

North-east Aberdeenshire


There is too much text for a pm so you will need to email me at

gordon dot hamlett at btinternet dot com


Thanks again for all those who have helped so far

Cheers

Gordon

 

[gnome]

Loch Vaa
I'm recently back from a week in Speyside and was struck by the general lack of birds. Is everything late as a result of the weather?
I haven't been there for several years but Loch Vaa has always been one of my favourite spots. We saw a common sandpiper and nothing else! There were two minibuses full of kids loading up in the car park as we arrived, maybe they had disturbed everything else.
Any comments from locals or other visitors would be welcome.

I'm back from a visit there from the 11th to 16th June. I've not been before so I've nothing to compare it with but certainly despite spending quite some time in the various forests around there I never once heard a single Crossbill. I managed quite a few Crested Tit sightings and a pair were still coming to the Loch Garten feeders but apart from that it was just the expected stuff such as Redstarts, Tree Pipits, Common Sandpipers and Common Flycatchers. For those who might be interested I've written up a trip report here.

Adam

 

[derbydebs]

Loch Morlich perimeter to the Cairngorm Club footbridge is a superb walk for Crossbills, Cresties and practically every bird specie of the Highlands. It s a 5 mile walk there and back but great birding territory. Sheet 403 Ordinance Survey. Capers sit UP trees so remember that!

Just want to say thanks Ratal for this post. Did this walk today and saw three crested tits and stunning pair of redstarts. Could not believe how many goldcrests and tree pints we saw too. No capers but not complaining!

 

[jpoyner]

Caper Decline

Not such good news for Caper in the West of Scotland. Hopefully they've had a better breeding season this year in Strathspey.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-23183010

 

[Jimmycq]

Had an enjoyable weekend up in Lossie and Forres, all the usual suspects seen, Opsrey fishing (successfully) in Findhorn Bay etc. all in fantastic weather for a change. A few other mentionables were Crested Tit in Roseisle, a pair of Common Sandpipers on Loch Spynie, (on the tree to the right of the hide). Anyone help with the lbj with the Goldfinch ?
Also 3rd photo was picked up at a distance and had me 'stumped' for a bit but using my best tracking skills managed a good close up without disturbing it at all.


Jim.

 

[Hugh Addlesee]

Had an enjoyable weekend up in Lossie and Forres, all the usual suspects seen, Opsrey fishing (successfully) in Findhorn Bay etc. all in fantastic weather for a change. A few other mentionables were Crested Tit in Roseisle, a pair of Common Sandpipers on Loch Spynie, (on the tree to the right of the hide). Anyone help with the lbj with the Goldfinch ?
Also 3rd photo was picked up at a distance and had me 'stumped' for a bit but using my best tracking skills managed a good close up without disturbing it at all.


Jim.

It looks like a Whitethroat - probably a juv. Cheers,
Hugh.

 

[Jimmycq]

Thanks Hugh (again)

Jim.

 

[Bird-Nut]

Had an enjoyable weekend up in Lossie and Forres, all the usual suspects seen, Opsrey fishing (successfully) in Findhorn Bay etc. all in fantastic weather for a change. A few other mentionables were Crested Tit in Roseisle, a pair of Common Sandpipers on Loch Spynie, (on the tree to the right of the hide). Anyone help with the lbj with the Goldfinch ?
Also 3rd photo was picked up at a distance and had me 'stumped' for a bit but using my best tracking skills managed a good close up without disturbing it at all.


Jim.

Hi Jim,
Great photo of common sandpiper :t: