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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Marcus Conway - ebirder" data-source="post: 1221556" data-attributes="member: 26747">Following an <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/ebirder/blog.htm?blogentryid=2758527" target="_blank">eventful trip in winter 2007 to the Highlands</a> I could not resist the temptation to return North to Speyside alongside James 'Hotspur' Spencer. I was hoping his ESP like skills for finding birds would help in digging out some specialities whilst his, ahem, rapier like wit would pass the long hours in the car.Day one - the long trip NorthJames arrives in Leeds as the first siwfts scream overhead just after 5AM. The previous night we have agreed to head to Northumblerand as a stop off point along the route. Ominously the car doesn't start. It doesn't even turn over. James reassures me this 'happens all the time' and 'the car is very reliable'. Five minutes and still there is just a popping sound from the engine as it fails to turn, and then, for no rhyme or reason the car fires into life and we are soon heading North on quiet roads.We make our first stop at Cresswell Ponds and then head onto Druridge Bay. I tell James I have been twice before and seen otter both times. And what would you know? We make it three out of three. Just as we are about to leave the hide - the only birds being 3 mallard - James locks onto an otter just in front of us. It's James' first otter and he is delighted. We head onto East Chevington to see what else we can find and as we scan through the terns roosting on the island I pick out what I think to be a Roseate Tern.  Just as I pass the scope to James the tern takes flight enabling us to confirm all the salient features. The early start has paid off.We decide to head to Hauxley NR and from the main hide we pick up a showy Little Egret and when we leave I have to get out of the car to stop it bottoming out on the sleeping policeman. Our luck holds and we soon add barn owl and marsh harrier (cream crown) to the list. We also hear news that the Lesser Grey Shirke is still just up the coast so we head North to Long Nanny near High Newton.We arrive onsite to be informed that the bird has 'just moved' from its regular spot and has not been seen for a while. Any worries were soon allayed when a stunning Lesser Grey Shrike appears at the top of a bush in the dunes. An absolute cracker in spanking plumage the pink wash on the breast sumptious in the early morning light. We stay for an hour watching the bird hunt, sing and build a larder before reminding ousleves we were still four hours from final destination.It was at this point that we agreed to have a buzzard spreadbet. The basic elements of the game being that for a £5 bet each player has to guess the total number of buzzards for the trip. I go with 150, James picks 225, and we shake on it. Almost immediately we see our first buzzard, and then another 6, and soon we are at 10 and we have only just entered the borders. I am not so confident on my 150 now!As we continue the journey the scenery starts to change and our ears pop. We focus on other raptors now. James, who should be looking at the road, spots a bird of prey heading up the Tay. I get the bins onto it and it's an Osprey - great spot. It's been an embarrassing bogey bird fro some twenty years so its great to get one so early. We continue our trek and finally arrive at our base in Boat of Garten just before 6. We park the car and decide to stay local and after unpacking (i.e. slinging our bags in a room and getting the beer in the fridge) we wander into the woods.In the woods we soon pick the trilling call of the Crested Tit, and despite not seeing it I assure James there'll be loads and he has no need to worry. There's plenty of coals tits around and also the odd treecreeper, but it's not long before we are too tired to carry on. Nearer the cottage we get onto three crossbills as they land next to the path. They appear big billed and heavy necked, but they fly off before we can agree an ID. Lets hope we get some more. No sign of any cappercaillie though, obviously! Still we both managed three new UK birds, and we have got one of the targets under the belt.Total buzzard count after day one - 15Total time in Capper habitat - 3 hours (excluding the previous 22 at Christmas)Total Cappers - 0</blockquote>

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