After the second visit to Loch Garten, I made a detour to a nearby RSPB reserve, Insh Marsh, an unmanned reserve with good hides, which is only a couple of miles from where I was staying in Kingussie.
The other two hides are
PLEASE NOTE; Though I have accessibility issues, I am in no way critical of the access to these hides, I fully accept and respect the reasons for the locations of these hides and fully support them. This is more to allow the readers advanced information should they want to visit the reserve at any time.
Many of you know me well enough to know, I look for the positives rather than the negatives, and that remains the case with this post.
It is a truly marsh based reserve on the western edge of Loch Insh, and there were plenty of curlew and black headed gulls on the day of my visit, but sadly they were a bit too far away for a decent photo or two.
From the Lookout, for me the only accessible hide out of the three, the feeding station was busy, with siskins, predominantly one female holding her own against other would-be feeding birds, particularly male chaffinches and the views northwards to Kingussie and the Monadhliath Mountains, which i've walked in the past, were just brilliant.
My visit was well rewarded with god photo opportunities, not just the landscape, as in the next photo (I won't bore you with the many landscape photos I took unless requested, and my arm could very easily be twisted).
The above photo was taken from the accessible roof of the Lookout, which provides a camera location post
I did say good hides, though I only visited and used the Lookout, and I'm sure that will be a good representation of the other two hides.
Now for the wildlife, a siskin showing his plumage, even if her back was turned....
The remaining photos are of various feeder fisticuffs from a very dominant female siskin to any attempts to get on her assumed nut feeder
Though I say it myself, some brilliant action photo opportunities and well worth the time spent in the hide.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
TJS said:Casting my mind back I do think I remember seeing feeders below us. We were out wildlife watching every day for two weeks on that trip and many of the details are blurring together now.
It sounds like you were on the roof. Over to the left side of the roof is a plate to sit a camera in to grab a scenic photo of Kingussie and the mountains behind.
PimperneBloke said:Lovely beaky-cuffs shots Mike :o), and the hide...looks in better nick than some of the accommodation I've stayed in lol
Some bothies I have used back in my mountaineering days were very poorly equipped, basically a roof and four walls, and the toilet was a pit outside, and often in the rain if you were lucky, or you had to go out with a trowel and dig a hole away from any water course to avoid contamination!
The beaky-cuffs were there for the taking, and I did go a little overboard.
Wendy S said:The hides have certainly improved since we visited about 12 years ago when staying Kingussie. We walked over from the village via Ruthen Barracks and found a lovely path through the woods. I think it must have been autumn time as we stood on the bridge watching the Salmon in the Spey.
That one didn't look like it was that old, though I couldn't comment on the other two, though i would guess they were in just as good condition.
I drove past Ruthven Barracks on my way back to where i was staying.
I also discovered that perhaps for me, the marsh may have been better viewed from around by the barracks, something to test out next time.
Lynn L said:Another sucessful visit Mike, even although you maybe did not see much but the scenery I am sure will have made up for that.
You know me well, I always make the best of a visit.
As for the scenery, the Monadhliath Mountains in the background of the first landscape photo, I've had the pleasure of walking up and across, in my pre-accident days. Not only were the views awesome, but the wildlife, particularly the mountain hares, also was awesome
TJS said:I can remember seeing that.
You're welcome. You were definitely on the roof of the Lookout.