Loch Garten/Loch Ruthven (2 Viewers)

[Phil Owen]

Organising a trip for 2008 to Scotland for 2 days.

Looking at maps/websites obviously Loch Garten is the place to go for Crested Tit, Capercaillie and Osprey and also Loch Ruuthven for Slav Grebes.

We want to know best time ie April or May??

Also if we based ourselves in Aviemore for example, the best way of spending the two days, ie where to visit, to enable us to get the most out of the trip.

The species we want to go for are:-

Crested Tit
Capercaillie
Black Grouse
Red Throated Diver
Black Throated Diver
Crossbill
Golden Eagle
Osprey
Slavonian Grebe
Ptarmigan

and any other species you can suggest!!

Please could anybody advise the best places to go.

We are travelling from Manchester on a Friday morning and returning on Sunday night.

Many Thanks

Phil

 

[rezMole]

I think you may struggle with only two days. It took us 5 hours walking just to get the Ptarmigan. Two or three attempts at Black Grouse only resulted in one very distant sighting, and Capercaille too was not easy. Three sightings in a week, but only one of them was a decent one - again, quite distant.

 

[dan pointon]

Hi Phil,

I would stay in Aviemore - that way you are close to Garten to get up early for Caper watch. Mid April is probably your best bet.

I'm not going to dictate an itinerary to you, but here are my ideas:

Travel up on the Friday, enjoy the scenery and the drive (I doubt you'll arive before dusk) Saturday morning go to the Caper watch at Loch Garten (usually start about 5am) and hope you get lucky. If not, go back on Sunday morning for another attempt. You should also get the Ospreys from the watch point, providing they're back at the site (this year they returned in the first week of April.) After this I would reccommend Tulloch Moor, a short distance down the road for Black Grouse. Hopefully someone else can give you more intimate details that I can, all I can remember is you park on a minor road and scope across a valley to an adjacent hillside, and there's a lek on there, or alternatively birds often feed around the layby you park in.

After that you should still have plenty of daylight left. If it were me I would head to the Cairngorms for Ptarmigan, but if you want to take it a slower pace perhaps the rest of the morning wandering the woods around Garten, should yield Crested Tit, and if you're very lucky some crossbill sp. You could then spend the afternoon at Ruthven nailing Slav Grebe etc.

Which ever way round you do it, the best place to view Ptarmigan is Coire an Sneachda, This is a gap between two ridges about a miles (15 mins) walk from the Cairgorm centre, which is a short drive past Loch Morlich. In April this year Ptarmigan had already set up territories here, as had Red Grouse.

You could then spend your final afternoon in the Lochindorb/Findhorn region. BT & RT Divers are easy enough on Lochindorb, just scan out over the water. The Findhorn Valley can be good for Golden Eagles, as can the moor directly north, but good weather and a lot of luck is required as it's a massive area.

I hope that's covered everything, just ask if you want more info.

Cheers

D

edit: I see rezMole says you may struggle for time. Often birding is slow and hard up there, but if you go to the right places at the right time of day you shouldn't struggle. However if you did run out of time, perhaps the best bet would be to slash some of the more distant sites from your itinerary ie Ruthven, Findhorn and Loch Indorb. That said I did it easily in 2 days this year, including a trip up to Spey Bay. Saw all 4 grouse sp within 3 hours.

 

[Richard Powell]

I visited this area nearly four years ago. The only thing I would have to add to Dan's comments in Strathspey are regarding the Divers.

Lochindorb for Black-Throated Divers. I didn't see Red-Throated here, but I did see Red-Throated Diver at Loch Morlich which is on the way to Cairngorm.

Another option for Ptarmigan and Golden Eagle, although it is quite out of the way, is the Glenshee ski area near Braemar. I did only hear Ptarmigan calling here mind you, but two Golden Eagles. I mention here because I've been to Cairngorm twice and couldn't find Ptarmigan. I obviously didn't go where Dan did!

The Nethybridge Hotel is nice and was very reasonable at the time of visiting (April 2004). And then you're even nearer to the Osprey centre for Caperwatch, and you won't have to get up quite so early!

 

[Cudyll Bach]

I stayed at Aviemore in June 2005. I had great views of Slav Grebe from the viewing platform at Boat of Garten, I also saw a female Capercaillie in the forest from the same spot. Sadly I dipped on Golden Eagle even though I spent almost a fortnight looking for them, but at least I have an excuse to return very soon.

 

[Phil Owen]

Thanks for that great info!!

A few other things we need to check.

One species we forgot is Red Necked Grebe - are these possible anywhere nearby.

Osprey will hopefully be there by then and is there anywhere to view the Crested Tit at feeders??


We plan to leave very early on a Friday am to arrive Friday afternoon.

We will have Friday afternoon, Full day Saturday and Sunday morning, leaving on Sunday afternoon.

I think we are probably best to go to sites fairly local to Aviemore with only having a weekend.

I think then that the only species we may not be able to get locally is the Golden Eagle so may have to try somewhere on our return.

Any thoughts as to which is the best place as we can travel if it is on our way home??

Thanks

Phil

 

[dbradnum]

Red-necked Grebe isn't really on the cards; while there may be a pair or two up there (I honestly don't know), their location will be kept secret as a very rare British breeding species.

Crested Tits often come to feeders right outside the Osprey centre at Loch Garten - couldn't be easier when they do! I believe there's another feeding station on the road from the A95 into Boat of Garten - pull off on the right hand side before you reach the village. (Maybe someone more local can advise whether I've remembered this correctly?!)

Only other thing to add is to plan the Ptarmigan trip according to the weather forecast. Even in high summer the Cairngorms can produce blizzards and generally foul conditions, which can appear out of nowhere rather scarily fast. If the weather isn't good, or you're not kitted out for the mountains, then don't take a chance.

 

[Phil Owen]

Also Dan,

Where on the map is Coire an Sneachda and the Moors for the Black Grouse??

Also is Findhorn by the sea?? Anything else up there??

Thanks

Phil

 

[dbradnum]

I'll step in again, since I think I probably gave Dan the details of the Ptarmigan site last year!

It's shown on >this map<, southwest of Cairngorm summit. Basically it's a big scree filled basin, frequented by Ptarmigan until they move up onto the tops for the summer.

For eagles and other wandering birds of prey, you want the Findhorn valley... a long way from Findhorn Bay up on the coast! Turn south west off the A9 at Tomatin, and then follow a very long, very narrow road right down to Coignafearn Lodge at the end. See >this map<. From here if you're feeling energetic, you can continue walking along the track for miles and miles - it's a fantastically beautiful wild area. Also, while you're driving down, keep stopping for a scan wherever the view opens up, since there's good birds to be seen all the way along.

[edit] Oh, and the road leaving the Findhorn valley, running NW to Farr, is also good for birds of prey - it's shown on the same map I posted before, initially climbing through pine woodland before opening out over the top. Farr is fairly close to Loch Ruthven for Slav Grebes, so this makes a good day's combination (though appreciate you might be pushed to fit all this into your schedule!)

Hope this helps

 

[dan pointon]

Yep, thats the one, park by the Ski Centre and its a 15 minute walk if your brisk.

I'm not too sure where Tulloch Moor is on a map, my head just gets totally confused in that region, and I seem to lose all sense of direction! I'll get back to you on that soon.

RE Findhorn - it's often big, bleak and birdless. But can sometimes yield the odd Golden and in the last year a White-tailed.

 

[dan pointon]

Right, here goes:

Park here: http://www.multimap.com/map/browse....con=true&zm=0&scale=25000&down.x=284&down.y=5

(the red circle at the top of the map) and view SE towards the stream Craigowrie Burn. Scan the hillside in that region and the lek is usually easily visible. If that's wrong please correct me, the forest messes with my head!!!

D

 

[bitterntwisted]

There were no BTDs on Lochindorb this year AFAIK. Tried twice myself in late May. If I ever get the trip written up I'll be sure to let you know as we got everything else on your list, but it took three days and a lot of effort. We also missed Caper but that's because the lek watch had ended and without all the traipsing through woods in vain we could perhaps have managed two days. Gordon Hamnett's book is excellent and covers all the mentioned sites and species.

 

[delia todd]

There were no BTDs on Lochindorb this year AFAIK. Tried twice myself in late May. If I ever get the trip written up I'll be sure to let you know as we got everything else on your list, but it took three days and a lot of effort. We also missed Caper but that's because the lek watch had ended and without all the traipsing through woods in vain we could perhaps have managed two days. Gordon Hamnett's book is excellent and covers all the mentioned sites and species.

He he he... yes there were Graham:-O see the Strathspey Bash report here

this was a bit later than you're going Phil, but it may give you some ideas, reports start at Post #77

D

EDIT: ooops sorry Graham that was last year:egghead: ... you may be right:flowers:

 

[MSA]

Right, here goes:

Park here: http://www.multimap.com/map/browse....con=true&zm=0&scale=25000&down.x=284&down.y=5

(the red circle at the top of the map) and view SE towards the stream Craigowrie Burn. Scan the hillside in that region and the lek is usually easily visible. If that's wrong please correct me, the forest messes with my head!!!

D

Glad it's not just me, Dan - I've been there three times but for some reason I always head the wrong way from Loch Garten car park, even with a map on my lap!

I'm pretty sure the Black Grouse have been to the north of the road across the moor when I've seen them - parking near to the 222 on your map link and looking up. You'll hear them anyway if you sit quietly in the car with the windows open. I've also had Black Grouse just below the ski lift at Aviemore - there's a large roadside car park where the road splits in two on the way down (left to go down, right to go up) and if you look into the valley there's a wooden hut, seen them walking around that area. Ptarmigan seem reliable from the ski lift car park, going to the right and only slightly up (think it's the second corrie).

 

[dan pointon]

Glad it's not just me, Dan - I've been there three times but for some reason I always head the wrong way from Loch Garten car park, even with a map on my lap!

I'm pretty sure the Black Grouse have been to the north of the road across the moor when I've seen them - parking near to the 222 on your map link and looking up. You'll hear them anyway if you sit quietly in the car with the windows open. I've also had Black Grouse just below the ski lift at Aviemore - there's a large roadside car park where the road splits in two on the way down (left to go down, right to go up) and if you look into the valley there's a wooden hut, seen them walking around that area. Ptarmigan seem reliable from the ski lift car park, going to the right and only slightly up (think it's the second corrie).

That would be Coire an Sneachda I think. I've also had Black Grouse up that way, and I stand corrected if they are to the north of the road. I'm normally very good geographically, I guess it's maybe because i'm not driving but i'm clueless in Speyside!! Graham - we had BTD's too this year!! And an RTD I seem to remember.....

Cheers

D

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Have PMd you Phil

 

[thenorthernmonkey]

i'm also thinking of going up there in 2008 for exactly the same species. how do i stand by going up in september. is september a suitable time or do i need to look at going earlier in the year??

 

[Capercaillie71]

i'm also thinking of going up there in 2008 for exactly the same species. how do i stand by going up in september. is september a suitable time or do i need to look at going earlier in the year??

September will probably be a bit late for some of the summer visitors (e.g. Osprey, Grebes, Divers) which may have left for their winter quarters (this year I saw my last osprey on 4 September). Resident species should be possible although Capercaillie will always be difficult apart from April /early May when the Loch Garten viewing scheme operates.

 

[David Hunter]

There are Slav Grebe sites nearer to Aviemore which could save you the detour to Loch Ruthven. Can someone guide me on the protocol of disclosure? I would think they are quite well known in birding circles.

 

[Capercaillie71]

There are Slav Grebe sites nearer to Aviemore which could save you the detour to Loch Ruthven. Can someone guide me on the protocol of disclosure? I would think they are quite well known in birding circles.

At least one of those sites is a Special Protection Area (SPA) for Slavonian Grebes, so a search for 'Slavonian Grebe SPA' on the JNCC website would reveal one of them.

Another site, which used to be very reliable in the early 90s, is not an SPA and I seem to remember there were issues relating to disturbance at this site. I don't know if grebes still occur there, but access is more difficult than it used to be and I wouldn't like to advertise it too publicly, unless I knew that it was possible to view without disturbance.