Here is a summary of some of the key wildlife sightings of our recent reader holiday to the Scottish Highlands, based at the Grant Arms Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey. As a rule, we split into two main parties each day, each group visiting different sites, with one group heading out with Gordon and Chris Hamlett, the other half with Mike Weedon (and his dear wife Jo) and Matt Merritt. The following 'diary' is from the perspective of the latter group's field activities. For what Gordon and Chris's group saw, you will have to ask them!
Day one 6 November 2023 : Loch Garten, Cairn Gorm, Strathdearn (leaders: Mike Weedon & Matt Merritt)
We started with a quick visit to a small close in Nethy Bridge for some reported Waxwings, but to no avail. Loch Garten provided good views of Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker, and an almost endless supply of Coal Tits, but sadly no Crested Tits.
Compensation came in the form of great views of a Bank Vole.
Our next destination was the car park at the base of the Cairn Gorm funicular (no longer in use), in the hope of Snow Buntings. One car load did see a party of about 20 of the these lovely birds in flight, but the rest of us were long gone by then…
Strathdearn was heaving with raptors. At one stage we had eight Red Kites together in the lower valley and at another four together in the higher valley. Buzzards were too numerous to count, and appeared in groups of up to five at once. Ravens similarly appeared in good numbers with a minimum of 20 seen. Kestrels numbered about 15, Sparrowhawks 2 and Pegergines at least one.
The raptor highlights, though were Golden Eagles, with four individuals seen pretty well. A pair of adults (with tiny white patches on the wings) hung in the air at the highest car park, long enough for everyone to have their fill (perhaps on show for 15 minutes).
A party of c8 Crossbills included some superb males, and we were able to enjoy the quirky behaviour of carrying cones in the bill and holding them underfoot, like a parrot would, to extract the seeds!
There were several parties of the expected Red Deer on the mountains in the strath.
Most of the group saw a Dipper at the final stop of Carr Bridge.
Day two 7 November 2023: West coast; Gruinard to Aultbea and back (leaders: MW & MM)
Having enjoyed the magnificent drive to the west coast, our first stop was the pull-in overlooking the Isle of Gruinard. The sea produced plentiful Shags and about 20 Great Northern Divers in all sorts of plumage variations. There were distant views of a coupl eof Black Guillemots (Tysties) and one or two Red-throated Divers, plus a Common Scoter pretending to be a grebe! Across the baym there was a flock of c180 Barnacle Geese with the odd Hooded Crow. A few of us had brief views of a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier hunting over Gruinard.
At Aultbea, we encountered some superbly close Great Northern Divers, and on the Isle of Ewe side we heard several of these evocative birds calling at once. What a sound!
We also had some impressive feeding flocks of Black-throated Divers (numbering 15 and about 20), all diving together like feeding Cormorants. A Slavonian Grebe gave superb views in the harbour. Also, at Aultbea, we encountered a spactacular, free-flying Blue-and-gold Macaw, who apparently goes by the name of Mojo (so a bit of internet research, later revealed).
Totals of divers seen during the day were c60 Great Northern Dvers, c30 Black-throated Divers and c10 Red-throated Divers. On the return journey past Gruinard we spotted an adult White-tailed Eagle perched on the ridge above the Barnacle Goose field. After a while, it crossed the bay and flew behind the ridge behind us. What a bird!
Day three 8 November 2023: Black Isle via Inverness (leaders: MW & MM)
Today we visited the Black Isle. It being just north of Inverness, we decided we had to visit the reported flocks of Waxwings there. But first, we returned to Loch Garten in the hope of Crested Tit. After a bit of a wait we started to hear one call, and eventually it came down to the feeders and stayed for a few minutes giving (nearly) everyone excellent views.
Then, the exciting decision was made to visit the site of a reported Great Grey Shrike, at
Dalnahaitnach, near Carrbridge. Amazingy, with a little help from Safari Steve, we got great views of the beautiful shrike almost as soon as we parked!
In Inverness, our luck continued as we soon found the big Waxwing flock, with hundreds of these wonderful birds seen and heard calling their beautiful ringing calls.
Black Isle delivered all the expected delights, including several Red Kites, several waders (including hundreds of Golden Plovers) at Udale and even the unexpected delight of an Iceland Gull flying over a couple of our cars, just after we crossed over onto the Black Isle (a peninsula, really). A windy Chanonry Point produced several (alf a dozen) Black Guillemots, some coming very close to the shore, several Long-tailed Ducks and the odd GreySeal, plus a flock of more than 100 Eiders. A few of us, which stayed until near dusk, had incredible views of about 5 Bottlenosed Dolphins which performed their usual trick of fishing very close to the point itself, before heading up channel. A great way to end a great day.
Day four 9 November 2023: The Moray coast at Rose Isle, Burghead via Lochindorb; Loch Spynie (leaders: MW & MM)
Some of us took a pre-breakfast trip out to the B9007 to witness the Black Grouse lek in action. We had four males, there, generally being a tad quiet, but occasionally doing the dance. Several redpolls were flying about calling, and the odd Red Grouse called. The Moon appeared very close to Venus (or was it the other way round).
After breakfast it was off north via Lochindorb, famed for its Red Grouse moors. One car load (MW's) had great views of a Goshawk bursting from the forested area near the south-eastern shore, then flying over the open moor into another stand of trees. Everyone was able to see at least two Red Grouse feeding among the heather.
The pine forest at Roseisle produced calling Crested Tit, but we couldn't see it! The sea as viewed from the dunes was like a millpond, so it was very easy to see the birds on the water. These included some very close-in Razorbills, some more distant Red-breasted Mergansers (the best ducks!), and a few parties of Velvet Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks, plus a handful of Great Northern Divers and a few Red-throated Divers.
At Burghead harbour, we were greeted by a delightful close-in flock of calling Eiders, doing their best Kenneth Williams/Frankie Howerd impersonations! Even closer were a couple of Shags, resting on either side of the habour walls; and a Tystie and Long-tailed Duck or two and a Grey Seal also came in close.
Offshore were a small group of Red-throated Diver and a few Common Scoters and more Long-tailed Ducks.
On the other side of the village (the maltings side), the Red-throated Divers were a little closer, and the ducks and Shags were swimming close into the shore and there was a fine gathering of waders in the 'rock pools'. These included half a dozen Purple Sandpipers, a few Turnstones and acouple of hundred Knot (and single Curlew and Sanderling). A few Velvet Scoters were mixing with the Commons and the odd Rock Pipit was flitting around, as usual at this site.
Loch Spynie provided a fine end to the group activities in the field, with several Tree Sparrows near the car park (and feeders), where there was also a Red Squirrel and Great Spotted Woodpecker or two (and Yellowhammer further down the lane). The loch itself had several Goosanders, a couple of Whooper Swans (including a very vocal individual, Pintail, Shoveler and Goldeneye, plus a couple of Water Rails calling from the reeds.