An organised weekend away with Tim and Mark primarily to look for Odonata,saw us having a very productive trip.
The following is what we saw:
Saturday 8th
After Tim and myself arrived just before dawn at the first site Duack Ponds,we had an explore seeing a few birds which included a handful of Crossbills and 2 Hooded Crow hybrids.
The next site we visited was the firepit pond near Loch Garten,while looking around the site,i was sure i heard a Crested Tit calling and then sure enough we enjoyed superb views of a scruffy moulting adult,as it foraged with a mixed tit flock.
It was really great to see and hear this species once again,after a 32 year gap.A few more Crossbills flew overhead here and also the ever present Siskins carrying out their bat-like display flights.
After meeting up with Mark,we checked the same sites as Tim and myself had earlier seeing a few more Crossbills and a visit to the famous Loch Garten saw us enjoying our first Osprey's of the trip and we had some really lovely views of a feeding Red Squirrel which was plundering one of the many bird feeders for peanuts.
It was my first visit here and i was duly impressed with this site and the surrounding area.
The final site we visited today,was another new site for me,the Findhorn Valley.
I had heard the famous stories of Golden Eagles being seen here and Tim had visited several times in the past and i was crossing everything in the hope we would see one.
To start we spent some time scanning from the car park area,getting some stunning views of a pair of Spotted Flycatchers feeding their brood of 4 fledgelings,a Merlin and a Common Sandpiper along the River Findhorn.
We then walked up the valley to an area Tim had seen Eagles in the past,seeing several Dark-green Fritillaries along the way and scoffing the local Bilberry's.
We stopped to scan when all of a sudden i spotted an Eagle!!!!,i could not believe it,as this immature female Golden Eagle flew towards us and then right overhead.
We watched as she soared around above us as a male Kestrel mobbed her,giving some great chances to appreciate the birds huge size.
I was in raptures and got pretty emotional,as it was a bird i had wanted to see for a long time and here i was watching one.
The bird eventually drifted off and we just sat and enjoyed what we had just seen.
The walk back to the car was great,as i was on a high now.
A few species on the way back included a Wheatear,2 Raven and a couple of Common Buzzards.
On the way back to our place of stay for the night,we popped into Avie Loch and saw the resident pair of Slavonian Grebes feeding their chick,which was another cracking bird species to add to this already memorable day.
Also at this site where my first breeding Goldeneye to be seen in the UK,with a female with one duckling and a further 2 females.
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| Duack Ponds,Nethybridge. |
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| Loch Garten. |
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| Raft Spider,Loch Garten,Guarding Its Young. |
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| Red Squirrel,Loch Garten. |
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| The Findhorn Valley. |
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| Dark-green Fritillary,Findhorn Valley. |
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| First Views Of The Female Golden Eagle. |
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| Great Size Comparison,Between The Eagle And This Male Kestrel. |
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| A Very Happy Me After Watching The Biggun!. |
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