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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

The Highlands and Islands Thread (1 Viewer)

Its great to hear that you are seeing Waxwings Marcus, hardly any have been reported in Scotland so far this winter. Hopefully they'll head east and arrive down here in Aberdeenshire and elsewhere in the near future. Hope your enjoying your new home. ;)
 
Took a trip to Blackfold on the North shore of Loch Ness. The weather was too bad for shots, but I did see a Red Kite sat on a post, it flew off when I stopped the car. Also a small flock of Bullfinch. Plenty of Buzzards on poles and a few digging for worms in fields.

Headed East (across the border into Moray!) to one of my favourite reserves - Culbin Forest. Plenty of Fieldfare and Redwings and some Linnets splashing in a pool near the entrance. Found a few Tit flocks and saw quite a few trilling Cresties, but no great shots. Headed back via Tesco in Inverness and there is a pretty good Starling roost that I will come back to photograph on a quieter day.

Additionally a Peregrine has been on the church next to our house, which makes a nice living room tick!
 
Having just moved up here I have not had the time to get out and about much yet. Are there any bird clubs in Inverness?

Also whilst doing some xmas shopping yesterday I had about 6 waxwings fly over and had an Iceland Gull on the river. Plenty of Goldeneye and Goosander loafing around too.

Hi Marcus

Welcome to Inverness! We have 2 clubs here, the RSPB and the SOC. If you like sea birds go here, there's also a kingfisher here and my friend phoned me yesterday to tell me she had watched it for about 20 minutes fishing!

As others have said Culbin forest is great, we had crossbills (jury is out on what kind) follow us as we walked round, but, next time we went they were no where to be seen!! Charleston west of north kessock has a small parking area close to an inlet that has lots of geese, teal, dunlin, godwits....

We are newish to birding but if i can help let me know

Regards

Alison

p.s should really read to the end of a thread! just saw you had been to culbin, HH said about merkinch and you found the SOC!!
 
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Headed back via Tesco in Inverness and there is a pretty good Starling roost that I will come back to photograph on a quieter day.

Yeah, right! Good luck with that Marcus! Tesco's, especially at this time of year wont be quiet until about, oh, late January. I have often seen the roost but never any raptors in attendance, I presume there must be some.

Nice tick seeing red kite south of the Firth, saw one last week at Craig Phadraig but usually they are on the proper side of the Firth towards Tore. We have them regularly over our house.

I am off work tomorrow so hoping to get out somewhere, probably the Black Isle.
 
In my experience the premier Blackisle site for Red Kite has to be Kilmuir :http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?...&sv=Kilmuir&st=3&tl=Map+of+Kilmuir,+Highland+[City/Town/Village]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf

At this time of year Kites from all over the area congragate in woods to the north of the church ruins, forming quite a sizeable winter roost. I've regularly counted 35+ individuals on many visits but I think the record stands at about 75!:eek!: It's well worth a visit anytime between 3pm and dusk to get views of the Kites circling over the roost site, and to watch birds comming in from every direction. It can be quite spectacular and a fair challenge tring to count the birds as they wheel in and out of view over the trees...

If anyone decides on a visit let me know how many Kites you see, I bet you get more that 20....:t:
 
Hi Marcus

Welcome to Inverness! We have 2 clubs here, the RSPB and the SOC. If you like sea birds go here, there's also a kingfisher here and my friend phoned me yesterday to tell me she had watched it for about 20 minutes fishing!

As others have said Culbin forest is great, we had crossbills (jury is out on what kind) follow us as we walked round, but, next time we went they were no where to be seen!! Charleston west of north kessock has a small parking area close to an inlet that has lots of geese, teal, dunlin, godwits....

We are newish to birding but if i can help let me know

Regards

Alison

p.s should really read to the end of a thread! just saw you had been to culbin, HH said about merkinch and you found the SOC!!

Marcus

Been a member of the SOC in the Lothians (while living in Edinburgh)

:t::t::-O:-O

Regards
Kathy
 
Today I had to cross the border again to take my OH to a meeting in Elgin. I took the chance to visit Burghead and drift back along Moray coast.

I parked up and immediately a corking female Sparrowhawk came over and disturbed the Turnstone and Redshank. Didn't stick to have its photo taken unfortunately. I headed along the shore and noted a good number (maybe 30) Long Tailed Duck in just a few minutes. I settled down to do some scanning and pick out a distant Diver sp and a Common Scoter. Other than that it was loads of Long Tailed Duck and Eider.

After about two hours the King Eider came into view, albeit a bit distantly. It slowly drifted towards me over the next few hours but never close enough for frame fillers. I did get some nice Squaws (must over 200 in that bay, including some flocks of 15 or more) so it was time well spent. I was trying to get them in flight - they are very quick. After a while I pretty much worked out anything flying fast that was black and white was a Long Tail so I just started taking shots. Then got onto one whirring past at distance and what do you know? It's a corking Little Auk. Grabbed a record shot and went back to the car and tried to warm up.

Came back via Findhorn and found a nice tree with some Redwings grabbed some shots and then headed to Tesco. I naughtily parked the Landy across two spaces and got some shots of the Starlings whilst the shoppers looked on :-O

Off to Speyside and the Cairns tomorrow I think. Fancy some white Ptarms - is there anywhere closer to Inverness?

I'll try and upload some images later :t:
 
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Today I had to cross the border again to take my OH to a meeting in Elgin. I took the chance to visit Burghead and drift back along Moray coast.

I parked up and immediately a corking female Sparrowhawk came over and disturbed the Turnstone and Redshank. Didn't stick to have its photo taken unfortunately. I headed along the shore and noted a good number (maybe 30) Long Tailed Duck in just a few minutes. I settled down to do some scanning and pick out a distant Diver sp and a Common Scoter. Other than that it was loads of Long Tailed Duck and Eider.

After about two hours the King Eider came into view, albeit a bit distantly. It slowly drifted towards me over the next few hours but never close enough for frame fillers. I did get some nice Squaws (must over 200 in that bay, including some flocks of 15 or more) so it was time well spent. I was trying to get them in flight - they are very quick. After a while I pretty much worked out anything flying fast that was black and white was a Long Tail so I just started taking shots. Then got onto one whirring past at distance and what do you know? It's a corking Little Auk. Grabbed a record shot and went back to the car and tried to warm up.

Came back via Findhorn and found a nice tree with some Redwings grabbed some shots and then headed to Tesco. I naughtily parked the Landy across two spaces and got some shots of the Starlings whilst the shoppers looked on :-O

Off to Speyside and the Cairns tomorrow I think. Fancy some white Ptarms - is there anywhere closer to Inverness?

I'll try and upload some images later :t:

Congratulations Marcus, some brilliant birds and a great day out. Burghead sounds like quite a tempting location to go and see some nice birds before the end of the year. ;)
 
I went up into the Cairngorms today. Carried all my kit for miles on on the icy slopes, and couldn't find the Ptarmigans. I heard them recthing a couple of times, but couldn't see them.

A mountain hare, a red grouse and the snow buntings were some compensation.
 
I went up into the Cairngorms today. Carried all my kit for miles on on the icy slopes, and couldn't find the Ptarmigans. I heard them recthing a couple of times, but couldn't see them.

A mountain hare, a red grouse and the snow buntings were some compensation.

Should be plenty in Coire an Lochan. Usually a few groups around the boulders. Certainly were a few weeks ago.
 
That's where I went. Been there to photograph them before. Chap coming down said he had twenty white ones, but I couldn't find them at all

Yeah I think I've met the "chap coming down" many times up there too ;) That guarantees you will see 0. Best avoid him! He's always just seen a stunning Caper when you meet him in the woods too!
 
Noticed there were quite a few thrushes and Robins about today around Inverness. Get the impression a second wave of birds is coming in, perhaps ahead of the very cold weather which is moving west. Also had a Coal Tit calling near the canal which am pretty sure was a continental type bird. Picked them up by call in Strathspey in winter, hard to describe, but it's quite different from local birds. Also up to 5 Jays have been seen in Strathspey this week, again, seems a big movement of birds out of the continent perhaps.
 
I've noticed lots of thrushes too.

I headed to Abriachan Forest yesterday where there were plenty of Crossbills. Also a Great Spot, and a couple of Treecreepers. Headed to Blackfold where there were more Crossbills and Cresties. A couple of Stonechats were on show too.

Earlier I had a disappearing large Accipiter (sp). Maybe just a fem sparrowhawk...
 
Some shots

Crested Tit
Crested Tit
Long Tailed Duck
King Eider
Little Auk (record shot)
 

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Speaking as an ex-Highlander.........ask Santa for Midge repellant!

The wildlife is spectacular... but not when it's crawling in your hair.. and nibbling at you eye lids!
 

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