Home From Home........Day 5

 It was time to leave Elgin and the Moray coast and head back South(but not too far as to get too close to the Welcome to England sign 😉). We drove down, cutting across Inverness-shire spending just a few minutes on the A9 before turning off and then South on the B851 towards Fort Augustus.

 As we were coming this way we decided we would check out RSPB Loch Ruthven just in case any Grebes had arrived earlier than expected. It is known as one of the best places in the UK to spot breeding Slavonian Grebes. Unsurprisngly there was no one else there and part of the Loch was covered in a thin layer of ice. The rest was perfectly still making it ideal for spotting movement on the water.

 As we headed up the small winding path ripples betrayed a skulking bird on the edge of the loch. We stood still as it drifted into sight. It was indeed a Slavonian Grebe, still in it's Winter plumage.

 Fantastic to see as we thought we were a bit too early. A few Tufted Ducks were also on the loch and a Robin bounced around the wooded path. On the way back to the car we spotted a pair of flighty Stonechats, our first of the year.

 Continuing our journey we scanned the skies for Raptors and saw a couple of Buzzards and the fields held several Highland Coos. This one having his afternoon nap.

The B851 runs just West of Loch Mhor so it was always worth checking out for more Waterfowl. As we approached the end of the loch we were greeted with the sight of hundreds of Pink-footed Geese.

 A few minutes later as we passed the Knockie Estate two more Raptors were flying towards our position.We pulled to the side of the road to try and get a better view. As they got closer we could clearly see the size of them and I shouted Eagles. Two White-tailed Eagles glided over us and continued East towards Loch Killin.

 Woohoo, Otters, Slavonian Grebes and White-tailed Eagles over two days and we hadn't even gotten to our main accommodation for the week yet. This is why Scotland is the best place 😉😀

 One of the reasons we come on this road is it takes you over moorland before going down to the edge of Loch Ness and Fort Augustus and so it is a good place to look for Red Grouse. We stopped at the main layby which was crowded with tourists, some of them wandering through the heather so thought it would be tricky to find any nearby. Among the dull Winter heather though the bright red eyebrows of a Red Grouse are easily spotted. A group of 6 moving alongside one of the fences.

View from the B851 layby where we watched the Red Grouse.

 It was just another 45 minutes down through Fort Augustus to Fort William to pick up some shopping and then half hour back up to Glen Spean and to the farm.

 On arrival it felt amazing to be back after 2 years, it feels more like home than being at our house in Lincolnshire.We were greeted by our wonderful hosts, Robert and Margo and the accompanying menagerie.

 It is the first time I've been back since the heart-breaking loss of Tug but this trio managed to put a smile on my face. Georgie, Shadow and Neville were happy to see us.

 I also found an instant new friend in their lodger, Chester. 

Thanks as always for spending your precious time browsing my wildlife blog 😀

I do hope you enjoyed it.

Much more to come over the next week with trips to Mull, the West coast and the Cairngorms as well as plenty of wildlife at the farm.

Til tomorrow 🙏😊

 

Tales From The Highlands

Day 8 - Going Further North

  It was our last morning and time to pack the car and leave the farm :( The fun though had not quite ended as one of the mischievous Sheep that inhabit the farm decided that the grass was indeed greener on the other side and tried jumping the fence into our garden.Unfortunately she was not exactly Sheep Smith the British High jumper and didn't quite get it right.The left rear leg had caught the top wires which had wrapped themselves around her foot and trapped her hanging there.I went out to see if we could get her free.It took both Majella and myself all our strength to pull the taut wires apart and around her ankle then push her leg through.When released the wires sprung back in place cutting Majella's finger on the way.The Sheep looked at us and then just carried on eating lol
  Sheep rescue

  We sadly then left the farm but instead of turning South and going home we turned right and headed North.We were in Fort Augustus by 10am and saw Loch Ness for the first time in 2 years.

  No time for Monster hunting as we continued up to Loch Tarff where Greylags swam on the loch and a pair of Stonechats were in the heather.
  Male Stonechat

  The area of heather increased on the hills so we stopped to look to see if there were any Grouse around.If you look very closely in the photo there is a Red Grouse just the other side of the fence.(photo by Majella Fox)

  From where I was I got some better shots :)

  The next scheduled stop was at The Falls Of Foyer.There were a few steps to go down to the viewpoint but it was worth the pain lol.

  After the walk back up we got freshly baked warm scones from the cafe :) We continued up til we reached a loch we love to visit.Our last visit though was back in May 2014 when we saw a Cuckoo and Slavonian Grebes.No Cuckoos this time as we are a few weeks early but a pair of Grebes didn't disappoint.

  Also seen at the loch were Little Grebes, Teal, Long-tailed Tits, Treecreepers and this Toad.

  We finally arrived on The Black Isle to the sight of two stunning Red Kites, one which flew directly over our car.Hopefully friends, Dolphins and more birds to come over the next few days.

Thanks for reading.
Back tomorrow ;)