Scotland 2020 - Day 3 - A Tit In The Hand

  Today's original plan was to meet up with our friend Jan and catch the ferry from Lochaline to Fishnish on the Isle Of Mull. Due to heavy snow across Ardnamurchan and 40mph+ winds we decided the best option was to travel in the opposite direction and head to Aviemore.
  The lovely horizontal Scottish weather coming in at the farm before we left.

  With Jan we usually go straight out birding but as it had been a long time since meeting up we had a good chat before spending an hour walking along the shops in Aviemore high street and then into the chip shop.

  We then headed up to Abernethy Forest and Loch Garten.

  RSPB Loch Garten was yet to open for the Osprey season but it was still possible to walk down to the centre and see the bird feeding frenzy.

  As it was too early for the return from Africa of the Ospreys I had to fill in for the photographs ;) 

  Chaffinches, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Siskins surrounded us as they cam down for food.

  Male Chaffinch

  Coal Tit

  As you can imagine there were numerous squabbles as the birds competed to feed.

  

  One Male Chaffinch seemed to be at the top of the bird community hierarchy and after facing off all-comers did his triumphant Jurassic Park T-Rex roar ;) 

  Suddenly a different bird was spotted skulking around the floor and base of the trees, a Treecreeper :) I haven't seen them feed on the floor very often and was amazing to see it up so close.

  Majella and Jan picked up some of the seed left on a table by previous visitors and waited patiently with their hands held out.

  It didn't take long for the Coal Tits to take up the offer.

  Majella with a Coal Tit

  Jan looking nonchalant while feeding another Coal Tit.

  Video clip of Majella feeding a Coal Tit and the joy it brings even if you have done it 100 times before.

                              

  The bird (besides the Ospreys) that a lot of people come to Loch Garten to find is the Crested Tit, only found in these ancient Caledonian pine forests in Scotland. Luckily we were treated to great views of one as it flitted from tree to tree and between the three of us picking up seeds.

  Crested Tit

  After a couple of hours we were all starting to feel the cold and so headed back to the car to warm up before driving back to the farm.We agreed it was a very good day and said our goodbyes so Jan could head back West towards Skye.

  As darkness approached it was time for me to get the trail camera back in place in the garden.

  

  The first mammal to appear was this Rabbit around 2am

                                

  Then just before 5am the Pine Marten was back.

                            

                            

                            

                            

  The trail cam even caught another mammal on film just before I went out to collect it, a Bank Vole.

                            

  An amazing diversity of Wildlife all around us while we sleep.

  Thanks again for taking the time to read the blogpost and view the film clips.Join me tomorrow when we head to the stunning West coast of Scotland.

Bye til then.

  

  

Tales From The Highlands

Day 3 - An Osprey A Day Keeps Depression Away ;)

  I woke before the alarm went off at 6.45am and was eager to get outside and see what the moth trap held.Due to the chill in the air last night I wasn't sure what to expect so was pleasantly surprised by the larger total than I had hoped for.The most numerous species was easily the Hebrew Characters with 12 of them making an appearance.
  Hebrew Characters

  The stars though were the 3 Brindled Beauties

  After potting all the moths and putting them to chill so they are a bit more docile when I try to photograph them later(this doesn't always work especially with these hardy Scottish versions lol) , I went to collect the trail cam.
  I had found a nest hole near the cabin so had placed the trail cam there with a few incentives for the as yet unknown inhabitants.The food was gone and the SD card had recorded 36 clips of video.I sat down to go through them.

  The neighbours were a trio of Wood Mice.Their eyes shining from reflecting the light from the moth trap.I finished checking the footage, then rechecked the weather forecast, heavy rain for Fort William so we decided to head to sunnier climes, The Cairngorms :)

  The drive to Abernethy Forest was mainly uneventful with just a skein of Greylag Geese flying over in their perfect "V" formation and a Song Thrush on a grass verge near Carrbridge.Today was the opening day of the RSPB Loch Garten Osprey Centre so it would've been rude not to attend.When we arrived both Ospreys, EJ and Odin were on the nest.We stayed for a couple of hours watching their behaviour and chatting to the RSPB staff.Odin kept bringing back large branches to renovate the nest and we also got to witness their 27th mating attempt so far.

  I was surprised that other people arriving to view the Ospreys only stayed for about 10 minutes before heading off again and one couple were asked of they would like to join the RSPB as they were not yet members, they snapped "We can't afford to do that!" 

  I think my monthly RSPB donation is actually a bit selfish of me as I pay them to protect birds and those birds make me feel better so I am really just paying to help my mental health ;)

  There were more than the Ospreys to watch with Chaffinches, Siskins, Coal Tits, Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Brambling around the feeders and Goldcrests around the car park.

  Great Spotted Woodpeckers

  Brambling

  Two Bank Voles were racing in and out of the undergrowth collecting the food displaced from the feeders.

  A cuteness of red appeared shimmying down a tree trunk to feast on the nuts.The beautifully tufted Red Squirrel was a joy to watch.

  After buying another two RSPB badges(a Hedgehog and a Bee) we left and headed to Aviemore for lunch.A coffee and Smiffy's chips later and we set off up to Glenmore Forest Park in hope of Crested Tits and Dippers.Unfortunately we "dipped" out on both but nature soon made up for it for as we left Aviemore something caught my eye and I shouted "Peregrine!" It was probably one of the residents from Craigellachie Nature Reserve and it was been harrassed by a determined Crow.

Checking the river for Dippers in Glenmore.

  We continued back to Roybridge where I spent the evening uploading photos from the cameras before releasing the now active again moths back into the night sky.

Raptor Watch Update - 

Buzzards - 10

Ospreys - 2

Peregrine - 1

Thanks again for reading.Hopefully more fun and wildlife to come tomorrow :)