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I set the alarm for 04:45. This would give me plenty of time to have a look around before meeting everyone at the gate at 05:30. Loch Garten looked incredible. It was 05:10am and the moon’s reflection glistened in the flat calm waters of the Loch. The reflections of the trees, and the backdrop of the Cairngorms, made for a beautiful picture, which I was happy to take. I even found that another phot of the Loch , without the moon, was equally as good.
At 05:30 we were all let into the Osprey observation hide, but before we were allowed to look for them we were given a lecture on how endangered this species are. They have gone from a population of 20,000 birds, only a few years ago, to a disastrous population decline of about 900 birds in Scotland. The one thin that is being stressed is the fact that the wardens don’t want anyone going through the woods to look for these wonderful birds, as this disturbance is one element that is in being thought is helping with the decline. Habitat change, as well as the fences that have had to be put up is, the other major effects on these birds. One thing that they think is also a factor is a problem with the bird’s genes. As they are a re-introduced species there is thought about just how strong the genes are but this is something that is a relatively new thought on what is causing the birds rapid decline into a major endangered species.
Lecture over it was announced that a male had been seen from the other hide and the first 8 birders were selected to go to that hide. I was to be in the 2nd group so I turned my attention to the Osprey's that are visible from the hide, about 150 yards away. The light was quite dark when I set up but it wasn’t long before I realised that these hides are not set up for digiscoping as each time someone moved the floor bounced up and down. Consequently my monitor was all over the place. It was almost impossible to take a photo but I managed one shot, although average, that shows the birds almost in silhouette against the background of an early morning orange sky. I was the only birder actually looking at the Ospreys as the others were looking for Capers. I soon changed that when I shouted, “ the Ospreys are mating ”. The male had jumped onto the female but I didn’t have time for settings just time to take one shot (which I have heavily edited in photoshop). No sooner as the bird jumped on her he was off. Moment over, but at least I have a record shot of it.
The first group of 8 came back with grins on their faces. A magnificent male had been showing really well, albeit 400 metres away, and now it was my turn to go into the hide. As soon as I had set up I was onto the male Capercaillie Boy, what an amazing sight. He was really strutting his stuff, his tail fanned out to its extreme. The low light hitting the bird side on. Unfortunately there was a fine mist around but even so the red eye could be plainly seen, even though the actual colours of the bird were lost to a degree in the mist. Just as in the main hide, digiscoping was virtually impossible as the slightest movement resulted in my monitor having the shakes. I fired off quite a few shots but the link shows the only one (which I have also heavily doctored) that came close to actually getting the bird. The rest were just a blur as the camera was put through the shakes of the hide. The Warden Steve, let me stay whilst the others went, to allow me a chance of getting the bird but as they left a couple of wardens arrived so the hide became unstable yet again. Soon it was time to go back to the main hide but soon it was announced that a couple more males, together with a couple of females, could be seen lekking in front of us, albeit about 400 metres away again) I soon found them and this time the males colours were easily being picked out by the low sunlight. The mist was still fairly bad but the views were better than the other hide. Every now and again the plain looking females would seem to throw themselves at the males then quickly disappear into the undergrowth. As I watched another birder announced that he had a male perched in a tree. He quickly put me onto the bird and I focussed my camera onto it. It was very frustrating trying to get a shot whilst the hide was bouncing so much and I did ask a few, that were by me, if they could just stay still for a few seconds, but it was too much to ask as they continued walking around me, and sometimes right in front of my scope. Even one women warden asked a couple if they could keep still but they didn’t adhere to the request and I was left with the frustrating situation of having crippling views of a male caper in my monitor but not being able to do a thing about it.
I stayed like that for over an hour, with the bird staying put on that one perch. At times he would fan out his tail and I would try for a shot, but it was a wasted effort. As it wore on to 8am, when they close the doors and ask you to leave, the hide got quieter. There were still about twenty birders milling around but this time there were brief seconds of respite with the floor and I tried a few shots. The mist had gotten a little worse by this time but I have got one shot that is better than the rest that at least I can call a record shot.
It was 8am and time to go. I had been a wonderful experience, although at times frustrating, in the hide and at last I had seen the most wanted bird on my British list. We were also told that today’s views had been the best seen for some time and the end product of Capers seen were, 4 males and 3 females of which I missed I male and female out of that quota.
As we came out of the reserve we were treated to a Red Squirrel on the nuts by the reserve entrance.
The rest of the day was going to be done at a leisurely pace and the sites I had earmarked to visit were Loch Mallachie, for Crested Tit and possible Common and Scottish Crossbill, Lochendorb, for Black throated Diver and Red grouse, and the Findhorn Valley (known as the valley of Eagles) for Golden Eagle and any other raptors that you could see here, plus the resident Dippers that can usually be quite co-operative.
To see how I got on you will have to read the final chapter of my day out.
At 05:30 we were all let into the Osprey observation hide, but before we were allowed to look for them we were given a lecture on how endangered this species are. They have gone from a population of 20,000 birds, only a few years ago, to a disastrous population decline of about 900 birds in Scotland. The one thin that is being stressed is the fact that the wardens don’t want anyone going through the woods to look for these wonderful birds, as this disturbance is one element that is in being thought is helping with the decline. Habitat change, as well as the fences that have had to be put up is, the other major effects on these birds. One thing that they think is also a factor is a problem with the bird’s genes. As they are a re-introduced species there is thought about just how strong the genes are but this is something that is a relatively new thought on what is causing the birds rapid decline into a major endangered species.
Lecture over it was announced that a male had been seen from the other hide and the first 8 birders were selected to go to that hide. I was to be in the 2nd group so I turned my attention to the Osprey's that are visible from the hide, about 150 yards away. The light was quite dark when I set up but it wasn’t long before I realised that these hides are not set up for digiscoping as each time someone moved the floor bounced up and down. Consequently my monitor was all over the place. It was almost impossible to take a photo but I managed one shot, although average, that shows the birds almost in silhouette against the background of an early morning orange sky. I was the only birder actually looking at the Ospreys as the others were looking for Capers. I soon changed that when I shouted, “ the Ospreys are mating ”. The male had jumped onto the female but I didn’t have time for settings just time to take one shot (which I have heavily edited in photoshop). No sooner as the bird jumped on her he was off. Moment over, but at least I have a record shot of it.
The first group of 8 came back with grins on their faces. A magnificent male had been showing really well, albeit 400 metres away, and now it was my turn to go into the hide. As soon as I had set up I was onto the male Capercaillie Boy, what an amazing sight. He was really strutting his stuff, his tail fanned out to its extreme. The low light hitting the bird side on. Unfortunately there was a fine mist around but even so the red eye could be plainly seen, even though the actual colours of the bird were lost to a degree in the mist. Just as in the main hide, digiscoping was virtually impossible as the slightest movement resulted in my monitor having the shakes. I fired off quite a few shots but the link shows the only one (which I have also heavily doctored) that came close to actually getting the bird. The rest were just a blur as the camera was put through the shakes of the hide. The Warden Steve, let me stay whilst the others went, to allow me a chance of getting the bird but as they left a couple of wardens arrived so the hide became unstable yet again. Soon it was time to go back to the main hide but soon it was announced that a couple more males, together with a couple of females, could be seen lekking in front of us, albeit about 400 metres away again) I soon found them and this time the males colours were easily being picked out by the low sunlight. The mist was still fairly bad but the views were better than the other hide. Every now and again the plain looking females would seem to throw themselves at the males then quickly disappear into the undergrowth. As I watched another birder announced that he had a male perched in a tree. He quickly put me onto the bird and I focussed my camera onto it. It was very frustrating trying to get a shot whilst the hide was bouncing so much and I did ask a few, that were by me, if they could just stay still for a few seconds, but it was too much to ask as they continued walking around me, and sometimes right in front of my scope. Even one women warden asked a couple if they could keep still but they didn’t adhere to the request and I was left with the frustrating situation of having crippling views of a male caper in my monitor but not being able to do a thing about it.
I stayed like that for over an hour, with the bird staying put on that one perch. At times he would fan out his tail and I would try for a shot, but it was a wasted effort. As it wore on to 8am, when they close the doors and ask you to leave, the hide got quieter. There were still about twenty birders milling around but this time there were brief seconds of respite with the floor and I tried a few shots. The mist had gotten a little worse by this time but I have got one shot that is better than the rest that at least I can call a record shot.
It was 8am and time to go. I had been a wonderful experience, although at times frustrating, in the hide and at last I had seen the most wanted bird on my British list. We were also told that today’s views had been the best seen for some time and the end product of Capers seen were, 4 males and 3 females of which I missed I male and female out of that quota.
As we came out of the reserve we were treated to a Red Squirrel on the nuts by the reserve entrance.
The rest of the day was going to be done at a leisurely pace and the sites I had earmarked to visit were Loch Mallachie, for Crested Tit and possible Common and Scottish Crossbill, Lochendorb, for Black throated Diver and Red grouse, and the Findhorn Valley (known as the valley of Eagles) for Golden Eagle and any other raptors that you could see here, plus the resident Dippers that can usually be quite co-operative.
To see how I got on you will have to read the final chapter of my day out.
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