Scotland 2021 (2 Viewers)

[Original PaulE]

Well just back from a post lockdown trip to Scotland, luckily the border opened up 2 days before we had booked some months ago!!
We had 2 locations firstly in Dumfries at a nice Bed & Breakfast for 3 days then up further North in a Cabin near Badachro!
Saw some excellent birds including both Eagles, all three Divers, Bonxies, Dippers etc etc
I will be doing some Blog Posts which I will share here (I share in multiple places so it's easier to do it rather than write loads of separate reports, it's also a good way to present some of the many thousands of pictures we took without having to resize them )

First post below is the journey up and a walk around Caeverlock National Nature Reserve

Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul

A place to read about my Birding and Cake Making Exploits!

birdsandcake122.blogspot.com

There will be more posts when I've sorted the thousands pictures I've taken!!

 

[Original PaulE]

Day 2
Visit to Eskrigg Nature Reserve and the Grey Mare's Tail waterfall today!
Nice to see a Dipper and a cracking Wheatear but was mostly about the views today even if it did nearly kill us getting to the top to see them!!
Full report with quite a few pics on the blog at the link below.

Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul

A place to read about my Birding and Cake Making Exploits!

birdsandcake122.blogspot.com

 

[foresttwitcher]

Good stuff, Paul.
Your "Fungus" looks to be an old Birch Polypore.
The first "Flower by Margie" is Wood Sorrel.

 

[Original PaulE]

Good stuff, Paul.
Your "Fungus" looks to be an old Birch Polypore.
The first "Flower by Margie" is Wood Sorrel.

Thanks for the info,I have no knowledge in these areas but enjoy seeing them!

 

[Original PaulE]

Day 3, our final day in Dumfries and Galloway this was a short visit on the way further north, but has convinced me to visit again in the not to distant future with plenty of sites to explore, we visited the Galloway Forest Park and then down to the Mull of Galloway in this Instalment, some nice Seabirds at the latter although the height of the cliffs made good pictures difficult and we managed to find a Wood Warbler in the Forest, one of my favourite things watching them sing, the way their whole body shakes is brilliant
A more detailed report and lots of pics, bit to many of the Wood Warbler to be honest on the blog at the link below

Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul

A place to read about my Birding and Cake Making Exploits!

birdsandcake122.blogspot.com

 

[Original PaulE]

Shorter post for Day 4 as was mostly spent travelling, but some nice sightings when we arrived at our destination notably a Black Guillemot and a Red-breasted Merganser outside the living room window!! Some very nice scenery as well as we moved north into more mountainous country
Few pics on the blog at the link

Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul

A place to read about my Birding and Cake Making Exploits!

birdsandcake122.blogspot.com

Cheers

 

[Original PaulE]

So Day 5, Beach day! Or so it turned out, love the beaches in Scotland, no sun bathers but plenty of waders, Wheatears and best of all Great Northern Divers just off shore, quite pleased with some of the pics! Some other highlights a White-tailed eagle that was camera shy,a Bonxie having a bath and a Hoody and a Gull having a tear up, Great Sceneary as per usual and a dip in the hot tub!!!

A fuller report and a lot of pics on the blog at the link below!

Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul

A place to read about my Birding and Cake Making Exploits!

birdsandcake122.blogspot.com

 

[Original PaulE]

Day 6, Well the Star Birds today were a pair of Black-throated Divers we found on a small Loch, bit distant for top quality pics but done me best, apart from that was all about the Seals and Scenery as the weather worsened a bit!! A fe wpics at the link

Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul

A place to read about my Birding and Cake Making Exploits!

birdsandcake122.blogspot.com

 

[Ian Bell]

Fantastic read and photos,Paul.

 

[Original PaulE]

Fantastic read and photos,Paul.

Thanks Ben!! was an enjoyable trip few more days to Go!!!

 

[Original PaulE]

Day 7 a trip up the coast road to Ullapool, stunning scenery again, an awesome Gull, a Jet Fighter and me in a the Tub, what more do you want!!
Pictures and a more detailed report on the Blog at the link

Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul

A place to read about my Birding and Cake Making Exploits!

birdsandcake122.blogspot.com

 

[etudiant]

Great report!
I especially liked the goats, they seem well able to eat the gorse, which may be the only way to control that noxious weed.
Of course, I've no idea whether goats actually like eating that plant, but it would be great if they did.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Stunning Paul. Looking forward to fish and chips in Ullapool in a couple of weeks ourselves.

Rich

 

[Original PaulE]

Great report!
I especially liked the goats, they seem well able to eat the gorse, which may be the only way to control that noxious weed.
Of course, I've no idea whether goats actually like eating that plant, but it would be great if they did.

Strange I like the gorse one of the highlights of the holiday the swathes of yellow everywhere didn't realise it is regarded as a noxious weed!

 

[Original PaulE]

Stunning Paul. Looking forward to fish and chips in Ullapool in a couple of weeks ourselves.

Rich

Thanks Rich, yes I actually had the scampi can high recommend was delicious!!!

 

[Farnboro John]

Been saving this up. Very enjoyable! Your jet is a Typhoon FGR4.

John

 

[Original PaulE]

Been saving this up. Very enjoyable! Your jet is a Typhoon FGR4.

John

Thanks John! Was fast,loud and very low!!

 

[Farnboro John]

Thanks John! Was fast,loud and very low!!

I'm envious, back in the day when we had a proper air force you couldn't move in Scotland for fast jets at low level, the last few times I've been up I've seen nothing.

John

 

[Original PaulE]

Day 8, don't worry only a couple more days to go the weather is playing a bigger role now, dodging the showers and the Blizzards, still managed some decent sightings, most notable was a nice flock of Golden Plovers some in full regalia and finally managed to capture a plunge diving gannet almost to my satisfaction!! It's never quite right is it As ever a fuller report with far to many pics of Plover and Gannets on my Blog at the link below!

Of Birds & Cake the Blog of Paul

A place to read about my Birding and Cake Making Exploits!

birdsandcake122.blogspot.com

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

My OH is pretty good with birders timings Paul. I remember nipping to the shop in Nethy for a paper and returning 4 hours later. She said she knew damn well I’d be walking through the forest with our dog.