On the second stage of our Scottish holiday we drove from the Aigas Field Centre to Grantown-on-Spey. Throughout the first week we were always looking out for the elusive Crested Tits but no luck. We stopped at Loch Garten on the way over to Grantown, did a five mile walk around the Lochs without seeing much and on the way back to the carpark saw somebody looking up into the trees, he said he'd seen a Crested Tit a few minutes earlier and while we were talking to him it re-appeared.
Not the best of photos but it was high up in the canopy, backlit in shade and very quickly gone again, not to return but at least we've finally seen one, our first.
A rather splendid Highland Cow.
On our fist full day we met a guide at Spey Bay, a day of mixed sunshine and showers.
Almost straight away we saw this Osprey patrolling the River mouth.
Out at sea the Gannets were diving.
A Reed Bunting on the river bank
Our guide picked up an immature Red Throated Diver off shore in his scope, and it came towards the shore by the river mouth. I went down to the shore line for a better view and it kept diving and coming up closer, eventually only a few feet in front of me.
Behind the Diver, an eider Duck flying past.
The Diver putting on more of a show.
Raining now and what looked like a recent arrival of Sand Martins along the river.
Back out at sea, punkish Red-throated Mergansers.
A fly past of Goosanders.
Goldeneye bobbing about.
Sandwich Tern
The Goldeneye flying off, a long way out.
In the afternoon we went to Lossiemouth.
This young Gull spent a lot of time dropping and retrieving this food carton.
Wheatear trying to catch a fly.
A very obliging Rock Pipit.
A fly past of Widgeon.
Another type of flypast from RAF Lossiemouth, a Typhon fighter jet, one many over the week.
Another day out was spent at Loch Ruthven, famous it's Slavonian Grebes.
On the way to the hide, a Meadow Pipit posing as a Tree Pipit.
There was a pair of Little Grebe with a nest near the hide that proved some quite close views.
While I was watching one it made an emergency dive. Looking up I was just in time to see an Osprey.
Then what we had come for, the Slavonian Grebe, one of three we saw that day.
After a lot of trial and error I finally managed to get some shots of the Slavonian Grebe re-surfacing after one of it's constant dives.
A change in lighting conditions gave this unusual colour pattern
The trip will conclude with Part 3 soon.
If you missed Parts 1 & 2 they are here.
https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/280291/trip-to-the-scottish-highlands-part-1
https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/280347/trip-to-the-scottish-highlands-part-2
Best Wishes
Trevor
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Regards, Hazel
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Lot to learn
Spey Bay, slavonian grebe, house martins.....
That looked like a fabulous day, I wonder when this was? The reason for asking, I did notice a group of people at Spey Bay on my second visit, though I'm sure guided tours are not unusual there.
The house martins have been in residence for most of May, so I was told when at Spey Bay last month, along with swallows, all darting around on the water of the R Spey. There is also an osprey the visits quite regularly there.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
TJS said:Hi Mike,
The Spey Bay day out was a stand out day of sightings. We were there on the 18th April when we saw the House Martins and they had possibly just arrived but we didn't see any Swallows. Have you posted anything from there yourself, I've been very busy at home at the moment and struggling to keep up with responding to posts so may have missed them although I have seen one of your posts from Insh Marshes. Trevor
April 18th, that explains everything, I was there almost four weeks after you, to the day, and I know what you mean about being busy. My son (25yo and very physically active) collapsed at work and taken hospital. He has a heart condition, which means he can't drive until the consultant says he safe to. It's a common among athletes, so I'm having to drive down to Bishops Stortford from B'ham, while his cycling buddy is on holiday. Its not doing my diary, or bank balance, much good at the moment.
It is a fabulous place and I'm itching to return. I made two visits, only one with photos, the first on the 16th May was too wet to risk getting the camera out, so all photos are from the 19th. My Insh marshes trip was in-between the Spey Bay visits, calendar wise, ending my week with a visit to Dalwhinnie, Laggan and Spey Dam.
You can read about my visits in Scottish Dolphin Centre, Spey Bay 19th May: https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/280317/scottish-dolphin-centre-spey-bay-19th-may#pifragment-4285=1
Also, my Loch Garten visits (a word to the wise, never search using Loch Garten as part of a search), Loch Garten 17th & 18th May: https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/280315/loch-garten-17th-18th-may
I had made a trip to Laggan and Spey Dam, where I watched an osprey diving, but I don't seem to be able to find that post.
Likewise.
I actually feel for him, he's treated me to a weekend at Silverstone with him for the F1, that included driving me there and back each day, and the poor lad can't now drive!
At least he's still with us, and that's what counts, and I still appreciate his Father's Day gift, whatever.