Northern123
Well-known member
I recently returned from a week in North East Scotland. I flew up from London to Aberdeen and hired a car for the week. I was based in Banchory and spent most of my time in Deeside but I did have a day trip over to Speyside and another up the coast East coast.
Day 1 – Sunday 19th May
After picking up the hire car at Aberdeen I headed up the coast to Inches Point on the Ythan Estuary. On pulling into the car park I saw a group of birders with telescopes who immediately pointed out where the drake King eider was feeding and showing extremely well. This had been the main target of the trip for me as it was a lifer and I was delighted to have caught up with it so easily as I know it can travel away from the Ythan estuary and can be hard to locate at times.
After watching the bird for a while I noticed a message on Rare Bird Alert that there was a male red-spotted bluethroat at Forvie NNR. I had never seen a bluethroat before so quickly jumped into the car and headed there as it was only round the corner. I found a group of birders in the location of the bird but it had apparently stopped singing and was proving elusive with only brief views in the previous hour.
After waiting about 45 minutes with no sight or sound the bluethroat appeared and then led the group watching a merry dance as it moved from bush to bush, giving brief views each time. The weather was beautiful and eventually I had had good views in great light albeit for a short periods of time each time. A very welcome and unexpected second lifer for the trip. Also at this site I saw stonechat, sedge warbler, tree sparrow, yellowhammer and reed bunting.
I then headed to the Ythan Estuary mouth to look at the terns and saw, common, arctic, sandwich and little tern on the sands here. Out to sea I managed to pick up a single arctic skua and 2 manx shearwaters. There were also lots of razorbill, guillemot, gannets, kittiwakes and fulmar around and I saw a red-throated diver flying south.
After this I decided to head to my cottage in Banchory pleased with an excellent day’s birding.
Day 2 – Monday 20th May
There appeared to have been a mini fall of migrants on the coast on the Sunday so I decided to head that way again and headed up to the Loch of Strathbeg initially. From the visitor centre and the tower hide I picked up 3 garganey, 2 little gulls, 2 late pink-footed geese and excellent views of an osprey.
I then headed to Rattray Head and had a summer plumaged Great-Northern diver on the sea and 2 arctic skuas flying North along with the usual seabirds. On the drive back to the main road from the headland I picked up a corn bunting on the roadside fences.
I then headed to Troup Head and saw my first wheatear of the trip by the roadside. Again there were the usual seabirds on the cliffs. I couldn’t find any of the puffins here but I did see 2 ravens.
Heading back I stopped off at the Bullers of Buchan at Cruden Bay where I managed to pick up 3 puffins on the sea amongst the throngs of guillemots and razorbills.
Day 3 – Tuesday 21st May
I decided to stay local today and headed first to the Dinnet Oak Woods. Here I had a wood warbler singing but could not see it. I also saw 1 tree pipit, 1 treecreeper along with the more common woodland birds.
After this I headed to Glen Tanar and after doing a circuit of the woods I made the long trek to the top of Mount Keen. Along the stream were 2 dipper and 2 grey wagtails and 3 common sandpipers. In the woodland area I had 3 tree pipits, 2 bullfinches, 2 jays, goldcrest, and the common tits. As the woodland changed into the heathland I had a pair of whinchat flitting around in the bracken and heather. Walking further up into the hills I connected with a male ring ouzel, several wheatear and red grouse. I also heard my first cuckoo of the trip. I didn’t see any ptarmigan at the top but I did find 6 male black grouse feeding in fields in the late afternoon on the way back. This was a huge walk and I reckon I covered about 17 miles in 10 hours.
Day 4 – Wednesday 22nd May
First stop was the Linn of Dee. This is a really beautiful little area and I had a spotted flycatcher in the car park and good views of a male redstart and a tree pipit in the woodland.
I then headed to Glenshee and climbed the Cairnwell and Carn Aosda. The wind was really strong and I again did not manage to see any ptarmigan but I did see my first ever mountain hares.
Day 5 – Thursday 23rd May
Having been lucky so far with mainly sunny and dry weather (although not particularly warm) the weather was awful today with rain and strong winds. I went to the Muir of Dinnet in the morning. The only birds of note were goldeneye, a single barnacle goose and my only blackcap of the trip.
I then headed to Fowlsheugh but the wind was so strong I didn’t’ fancy being on the cliffs so headed to Girdleness and watched the sea from the car. There were about 15 summer-plumaged red-throated divers off-shore which was a nice sight.
Day 6 – Friday 24th May
The weather forecast was much better today so I had decided to climb Lochnagar from the Spittal of Glenmuick in a 3rd attempt for ptarmigan. First though I made a quick stop at the Dinnet Oak Wood. There was so sign or sound of the wood warbler but I did see a spotted flycatcher and a male redstart.
At the visitor centre at Glenmuick I saw a red squirrel. There had been a lot of snow the previous night so the going was a bit tougher than I had expected but I made it to the top and finally connected with ptarmigan and had great views of 3 birds. I also had 1 male ring ouzel, several wheatear and lots of red grouse on the way up and 2 ravens at the top. When I reached the lower levels again I found 12 male black grouse feeding in the grass in the late afternoon and had a male siskin in the trees around the visitor centre.
Day 7 – Saturday 25th May
Weather forecast for the day was fantastic so I decided to head over to the Speyside area with the main target being the Findhorn Valley where there had seemed to have been a lot of eagle sightings recently.
The drive over the road past Tomintoul had some great views and I also saw 2 red-legged partridges and lots of red grouse.
First stop in Speyside was Loch Mallachie and I had very brief views of a crested tit as well as 2 male redstart, 4 treecreepers and 2 common sandpipers.
I then headed off to the Findhorn Valley and between 10.30am and 1.30pm had views of 3 immature golden eagles, 1 white-tailed eagle (which seems to have been in the area for a while), 1 peregrine, 2 raven, 1 wheatear and 1 ring ouzel.
I then drove over the Farr Road and saw a cuckoo before heading to Loch Ruthven I where I had 5 slavonian grebes, a male whinchat and 2 wheatear.
I drove back with a short detour via Lochindorb but there was nothing of interest on the loch.
Driving back through Deeside I stopped along the A93 near a fish farm as I had seen an osprey flying down the valley and had great views as it circled around and then headed off.
Day 8 – Sunday 26th May
Final day and I headed to the Ythan Estuary and had distant views of the King eider asleep before leaving for the airport.
I had a great trip and saw 121 species in total including 2 lifers. Once again Gordon Hamlett’s "Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands" was an excellent guide. "Where to Watch Birds in Britain" and "Where to Watch Birds in Scotland" were also useful.
A beautiful part of the world and I was extremely lucky with the weather. I would definitely go back.
Day 1 – Sunday 19th May
After picking up the hire car at Aberdeen I headed up the coast to Inches Point on the Ythan Estuary. On pulling into the car park I saw a group of birders with telescopes who immediately pointed out where the drake King eider was feeding and showing extremely well. This had been the main target of the trip for me as it was a lifer and I was delighted to have caught up with it so easily as I know it can travel away from the Ythan estuary and can be hard to locate at times.
After watching the bird for a while I noticed a message on Rare Bird Alert that there was a male red-spotted bluethroat at Forvie NNR. I had never seen a bluethroat before so quickly jumped into the car and headed there as it was only round the corner. I found a group of birders in the location of the bird but it had apparently stopped singing and was proving elusive with only brief views in the previous hour.
After waiting about 45 minutes with no sight or sound the bluethroat appeared and then led the group watching a merry dance as it moved from bush to bush, giving brief views each time. The weather was beautiful and eventually I had had good views in great light albeit for a short periods of time each time. A very welcome and unexpected second lifer for the trip. Also at this site I saw stonechat, sedge warbler, tree sparrow, yellowhammer and reed bunting.
I then headed to the Ythan Estuary mouth to look at the terns and saw, common, arctic, sandwich and little tern on the sands here. Out to sea I managed to pick up a single arctic skua and 2 manx shearwaters. There were also lots of razorbill, guillemot, gannets, kittiwakes and fulmar around and I saw a red-throated diver flying south.
After this I decided to head to my cottage in Banchory pleased with an excellent day’s birding.
Day 2 – Monday 20th May
There appeared to have been a mini fall of migrants on the coast on the Sunday so I decided to head that way again and headed up to the Loch of Strathbeg initially. From the visitor centre and the tower hide I picked up 3 garganey, 2 little gulls, 2 late pink-footed geese and excellent views of an osprey.
I then headed to Rattray Head and had a summer plumaged Great-Northern diver on the sea and 2 arctic skuas flying North along with the usual seabirds. On the drive back to the main road from the headland I picked up a corn bunting on the roadside fences.
I then headed to Troup Head and saw my first wheatear of the trip by the roadside. Again there were the usual seabirds on the cliffs. I couldn’t find any of the puffins here but I did see 2 ravens.
Heading back I stopped off at the Bullers of Buchan at Cruden Bay where I managed to pick up 3 puffins on the sea amongst the throngs of guillemots and razorbills.
Day 3 – Tuesday 21st May
I decided to stay local today and headed first to the Dinnet Oak Woods. Here I had a wood warbler singing but could not see it. I also saw 1 tree pipit, 1 treecreeper along with the more common woodland birds.
After this I headed to Glen Tanar and after doing a circuit of the woods I made the long trek to the top of Mount Keen. Along the stream were 2 dipper and 2 grey wagtails and 3 common sandpipers. In the woodland area I had 3 tree pipits, 2 bullfinches, 2 jays, goldcrest, and the common tits. As the woodland changed into the heathland I had a pair of whinchat flitting around in the bracken and heather. Walking further up into the hills I connected with a male ring ouzel, several wheatear and red grouse. I also heard my first cuckoo of the trip. I didn’t see any ptarmigan at the top but I did find 6 male black grouse feeding in fields in the late afternoon on the way back. This was a huge walk and I reckon I covered about 17 miles in 10 hours.
Day 4 – Wednesday 22nd May
First stop was the Linn of Dee. This is a really beautiful little area and I had a spotted flycatcher in the car park and good views of a male redstart and a tree pipit in the woodland.
I then headed to Glenshee and climbed the Cairnwell and Carn Aosda. The wind was really strong and I again did not manage to see any ptarmigan but I did see my first ever mountain hares.
Day 5 – Thursday 23rd May
Having been lucky so far with mainly sunny and dry weather (although not particularly warm) the weather was awful today with rain and strong winds. I went to the Muir of Dinnet in the morning. The only birds of note were goldeneye, a single barnacle goose and my only blackcap of the trip.
I then headed to Fowlsheugh but the wind was so strong I didn’t’ fancy being on the cliffs so headed to Girdleness and watched the sea from the car. There were about 15 summer-plumaged red-throated divers off-shore which was a nice sight.
Day 6 – Friday 24th May
The weather forecast was much better today so I had decided to climb Lochnagar from the Spittal of Glenmuick in a 3rd attempt for ptarmigan. First though I made a quick stop at the Dinnet Oak Wood. There was so sign or sound of the wood warbler but I did see a spotted flycatcher and a male redstart.
At the visitor centre at Glenmuick I saw a red squirrel. There had been a lot of snow the previous night so the going was a bit tougher than I had expected but I made it to the top and finally connected with ptarmigan and had great views of 3 birds. I also had 1 male ring ouzel, several wheatear and lots of red grouse on the way up and 2 ravens at the top. When I reached the lower levels again I found 12 male black grouse feeding in the grass in the late afternoon and had a male siskin in the trees around the visitor centre.
Day 7 – Saturday 25th May
Weather forecast for the day was fantastic so I decided to head over to the Speyside area with the main target being the Findhorn Valley where there had seemed to have been a lot of eagle sightings recently.
The drive over the road past Tomintoul had some great views and I also saw 2 red-legged partridges and lots of red grouse.
First stop in Speyside was Loch Mallachie and I had very brief views of a crested tit as well as 2 male redstart, 4 treecreepers and 2 common sandpipers.
I then headed off to the Findhorn Valley and between 10.30am and 1.30pm had views of 3 immature golden eagles, 1 white-tailed eagle (which seems to have been in the area for a while), 1 peregrine, 2 raven, 1 wheatear and 1 ring ouzel.
I then drove over the Farr Road and saw a cuckoo before heading to Loch Ruthven I where I had 5 slavonian grebes, a male whinchat and 2 wheatear.
I drove back with a short detour via Lochindorb but there was nothing of interest on the loch.
Driving back through Deeside I stopped along the A93 near a fish farm as I had seen an osprey flying down the valley and had great views as it circled around and then headed off.
Day 8 – Sunday 26th May
Final day and I headed to the Ythan Estuary and had distant views of the King eider asleep before leaving for the airport.
I had a great trip and saw 121 species in total including 2 lifers. Once again Gordon Hamlett’s "Best Birdwatching Sites in the Scottish Highlands" was an excellent guide. "Where to Watch Birds in Britain" and "Where to Watch Birds in Scotland" were also useful.
A beautiful part of the world and I was extremely lucky with the weather. I would definitely go back.
