Loch Spynie can be a difficult place for birdwatching in a group as viewing is from a cramped hide, so it was with some relief that we found the car park unoccupied. Players at the Car Park crease enjoyed easy scoring, quickly knocking up Tree Sparrows, three or more Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Long-tailed Tits. A shout of "Howzat!" for a claimed Stock Dove caused some excitement but, sadly, was disallowed by the Umpire. The news from the Loch crease was disappointing though, with no sign of the reported Smew and we changed ends. Despite fresh eyes, the stalemate continued until Alex located the bird in the hidden corner of the loch. Another quick change of ends allowed the Cohen trio and Fiona, for whom it was a welcome lifer, to connect.
SOC Highland Branch fielded a strong team for this away fixture to the Moray and Nairn coast. A nervous start was made at Nairn West Beach and, although Red-throated Diver, Guillemot and a googly in the form of a dozy Common Scoter fell quickly, the team failed miserably to find the Brent Goose flock which presumably had moved to the Culbin saltmarsh. Undaunted, the batsmen prepared to do battle in the second over, in the Harbour area where a few easy runs were scored in the shape of Turnstones, Rock Pipit and Long-tailed Ducks. The expected Snow Buntings proved tricky but patient, defensive play was eventually rewarded as the birds flitted nervously amongst the Sunday crowds. Goldeneye (Craig Forsyth) Play resumed at the mouth of the Mosset Burn at Findhorn Bay where we were joined by Peter and Celia. They had seen the Little Egret fly for a glorious six to the distant boundary some ten minutes before our arrival and the mood of team members varied from quietly optimistic to black despair as we waited for a reappearance. Byes, including a harbinger of spring in the form of a singing Skylark, were scant consolation as the main prize lurked unseen in a saltmarsh runnel. A prediction that the rising tide might force the egret to move proved correct as it flew out momentarily in its splendid whites but it was only glimpsed by half the team. Fortunately, it re-emerged and landed near the boundary to give tickable, if distant, views to all. We then moved to Burghead where we scored easily on roosting Purple Sandpipers, undeterred by the long lenses of encroaching photographers and a Long-tailed Duck enjoyed the shelter of calmer water as waves broke over the harbour wall. A short move to the Maltings followed, where we stuck at the crease to knock up various sea-ducks and Fulmar was added to the score-sheet before lunch was taken. Long-tailed Duck (Pete Gordon) Next was a quick stop at Balormie Pig Farm where the batsmen dug in to scan the vast gull flock. Although we tested its defences we could find no weaknesses with only Pied Wagtails and other, common, species present. But a breakthrough came when star player Craig found a male Gadwall amongst the Teals, Mallards, Wigeons and Shelducks on this soggy pitch. Loch Spynie can be a difficult place for birdwatching in a group as viewing is from a cramped hide, so it was with some relief that we found the car park unoccupied. Players at the Car Park crease enjoyed easy scoring, quickly knocking up Tree Sparrows, three or more Great Spotted Woodpeckers and Long-tailed Tits. A shout of "Howzat!" for a claimed Stock Dove caused some excitement but, sadly, was disallowed by the Umpire. The news from the Loch crease was disappointing though, with no sign of the reported Smew and we changed ends. Despite fresh eyes, the stalemate continued until Alex located the bird in the hidden corner of the loch. Another quick change of ends allowed the Cohen trio and Fiona, for whom it was a welcome lifer, to connect. Smew (Pete Gordon) The Team at Lossie (Alex Joss) Finally, we moved to the Lossie Estuary to scrutinise the flocks of ducks and gulls. Alex followed his Smew by picking out the single, upright wicket of a Green-winged Teal - clearly, he was out for a duck! As the minutes ticked by and we scanned the gulls our optimism of finding a “white-winger” began to diminish, with early-returning Lesser Black-backed Gulls scant consolation. Then eagle-eyed Craig announced that he saw a Glaucous Gull – no mean feat through binoculars at great range. Those of us with scopes scanned in vain as the flock rose, split and resettled before Simon confirmed the sighting. As the visibility declined, we reluctantly declared “Stumps” at 84 (species) for 0 just before the umpires would have decided that bad light stopped play. Man of the Match was Craig and Ross won the accolade of Young Player to Watch. Stumps (Craig Forsyth)
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Scanning the sea off Fort George (Jon Clarke) What a day! The weather was mostly glorious but very cold and frosty, and it definitely played a positive role in ensuring that a record number of birds were seen on this annual January romp to see as many birds as possible in Highland between the hours of 0000 and 1700. 16 teams braved the challenge, with teams hailing from Strathspey, Inverness, Glen Urquhart, Cawdor, The Black Isle, Dingwall, Rum and Eigg. With teams gaining an extra 3 points if they included someone under 30, there were a record number of ‘young persons’ taking part. 7 teams benefited from these bonus points. Teams planned their own route and stayed out as long as they liked, so long as they remained in the Highland recording area. In a spirit of camaraderie (as opposed to competitiveness) we set up a whats app group for the day so that folk could keep in touch with photos and locations of birds seen. Several teams bumped into each other at the local birding hotspots to share biscuits, but this was clearly impossible for our island teams on Rum and Eigg who could possibly have waved to each other across the Sound of Rum! Left to right: I'm assured there's a Jack Snipe there! (Holly Page); Snow Goose (Josh Allan); Long-tailed Duck (Josh Allan) Some great birds were seen during the day, including a single Snow Goose in a large flock of Pink-footed geese, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Great White Egret, Great Northern Diver and Water Rail. The total birds seen during the day was 124. C:\Users\Carol\Documents\birds\SOC\Bird race\SOC Highland Winter Bird Race 2024 Total Birds.docx
The Eigg Dippers (Norah Barnes) The Pleasant Pheasant Pluckers (Blair Whyte) We met in the evening over Zoom to swap stories and to award some virtual prizes. The team that saw the most birds, ‘Tweaty Blinders’, of Peter Stronach, Emma McBride and Holly Page, saw or heard an incredible 105 birds which was 12 more than their own total from 2023. Very well done!
Special mention to W Coast birders on Rum & Eigg who got top scores of 41 and 40 birds, The Eigg Dippers of Norah Barnes, John Chester, Bob & Logan Wallace, just nudging ahead with 3 bonus points. Best Team Name – Happy Smew Years, Alison Fraser & Robert Urquhart Best Bird – Snow Goose, seen by several teams Bogey Bird – House Sparrow, NOT seen by Al and Jenny McNee Most birds per mile travelled – The Snipers on Rum, Sean & Ali Morris Best photo – Long-tailed duck by Josh Allan A fun day out! Carol Miller For the last bird outing of the year (The Solstice trip) three brave Amigos met at the Inverness Retail Park. Not deterred by the high winds, apparently gusting to 60 mph, we set off for Milton of Culloden. Despite the wobble of the scopes in the wind we recorded 26 species including the club favourite “The Feral Pigeon”. The next stop was Allanfearn to look for Scaup. We recorded 37 Scaup in the choppy sea. The final visit was to Merkinch Nature Reserve, where we followed the path taking us down the banking and out of the wind. The Kingfisher remained elusive as did the Greenshank posted later that day. Back at the car the traditional mince pies were distributed and enjoyed. The Quince in the mixture (recipe on request) elevated this Christmas treat. The trip total of 46 was fair given the weather and was a much needed practice for the upcoming New Year bird race.
Hugh. Twelve of us met at North Kessock carpark on a grey, cool day with low mist hanging over the water. Not to be deterred we ‘scoped the calm waters - before moving up the firth stopping at the picnic area and then the layby at Coulmore. Hedgerow birds were skulking in leaf litter whilst finches and tits prevailed at the feeders. Bramblings were spotted as was a Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker. The misty fog closed in so we sped over to Udale, arriving with the tide still quite high and clearer visibility. Good numbers of waders and ducks were on the mud, and Alex managed to put up four Snipes and a Stonechat. The rains began in earnest, so off to the drier south side of the Black Isle. A brief stop at Rosemarkie added Common Scoter and Collared Dove to our list. Chanonry Point was fairly quiet (and wet) but eider, auks including a Black Guillemot, three flying Red-throated Divers, and pipits were seen. The light was fading, but Avoch burn gave us Moorhen and a very photogenic Grey Heron. Finally, we drove down the Bayhead road picking up Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow and Linnet. All in all, we recorded 71 species, whilst Simon Cohen ended his day with the Great White Egret at Fodderty (not counted on our list). Mary Galloway Grey Heron (Josh Allan)
Flexibility is the name of the game for these Thursday (French Jeudi – no, it’s actually Jove’s Day) outings where the destination is decided on the day by the Leader based on the most recent sightings, weather and tides. So eight of us met at Inverness Retail Park with high hopes we might see a few good birds despite the conditions as, appropriately a flock of Lapwings (Avefria – “cold birds” in Spanish) flew over. Our first stop was at the old South Kessock Ferry crossing where, sadly, we were 15,008 days too late for the American Black Duck. Undismayed, our attention was caught by the wonderful sight of flocks of Long-tailed Ducks flying in from the east and sitting bobbing on the waves. This is a regular sight here in winter but 75 was a good count. Unusually, this is one of the few birds whose winter plumage is more attractive than its breeding dress but perhaps not to Mrs LT Duck! Greenshanks (Craig Johnston) We then walked through the nearby woods to get out of the bitter wind and saw a variety of common woodland birds, including a couple of Treecreepers, before we emerged at the pools of Merkinch Local Nature Reserve. A sizeable flock of Redshanks were at the high tide roost here along with three frosty-looking Greenshanks – singletons of the latter are the norm here so this was a notable record. The expected Wigeons and Teals were admired here and at least eight Little Grebes played hide and seek on and under the water. Some time was spent trying to find the regular Kingfisher but it was better at children’s games than the Little Grebes and we had to admit defeat. We then had a quick look at the Caledonian Canal but considered that, with the last sighting on 5 February 2020 (1387 days ago) we were probably too late for the American Wigeon! Our next stop was further east at Milton of Culloden where the trees offered some shelter from the wind and rain. With the tide receding there were good numbers of gulls, waders and dabbling ducks, including a fine male Pintail. Craig’s call of a Great Crested Grebe was a good one considering he found it using binoculars and it took some of us quite some time to locate it, using powerful telescopes. This is a rare bird in Highland although this individual has wintered here for several years. Alex’s promise of Tree Sparrows here was, sadly, unfulfilled and, indeed, we saw no sparrows of any kind all day. Group at Alturlie Point (Mary Galloway) Continuing east, we looked from Alturlie Point towards Castle Stuart where we quickly found Shelducks but a distant pair of Light-bellied Brent Geese were more difficult to spot – “They’re in line with the yellow digger.” “I can’t find them.” “The yellow digger down from the poly-tunnels” “I still can’t find them.” “Ah, there’s two yellow diggers!” It’s tricky giving directions whilst looking through a telescope with its very narrow field of view is my defence. A soaring Red Kite (now common) and a Kestrel (now not so common) were easier to connect with and, at last, a pair of Magpies gave us joy.
Alturlie Pools are fairly dependable for producing the odd good bird and a fine, male Shoveler was today’s highlight although a couple of Goldcrests feeding on a nearby bare tree were equally appreciated. We drove slowly along the road by the Alturlie shore where one carload enjoyed good views of a Stonechat, sadly missed by the leading vehicle, probably because the bird was so close. With the light fading we didn’t bother looking for the Lesser Scaup there, last sighted 2,044 days ago. Perhaps we should have but we did enjoy a great day’s birding with a groovy total of 59 species despite poor weather. Why don’t you join us on our next outing and enjoy some sociable birding with friendly experts? Pete Gordon Trip to Tarbat Ness Saturday 7 October
Around 15 people expressed an interest in attending the trip to Tarbat Ness. As the date got closer it became obvious that the weather was against us with rain and gale force winds forecast all day so it was cancelled. As an alternative, a shorter visit to the hide at Udale on the same day was offered. It was not worth some people attending who had to travel a distance but in the end a small group of four people attended. As we arrived there was a short break in the weather that we took advantage of to visit Jemimaville. There were good numbers of Scaups (325), many close inshore as well as Wigeons, Mallards and a flock of Knots. Unfortunately, we did not see any Slavonian Grebes or divers offshore. As the rain returned we retreated to the bird hide at Udale. On the rising tide we had good views of Oystercatcher, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Knot and Dunlin. The highlight was a small flock of Golden Plovers. Mallard, Wigeon and Teal were seen. On the saltmarsh there were Pied Wagtails and Starlings. There were many hundreds of Pink-footed Geese with the fields around Kirkmichael a mass of grey where they were densely packed. Among them were a few Greylag and Canada Geese but no other species were picked out. The tides were neaps so the tide did not bring the birds as close to the hide as we had hoped. As the light started to fade we called it a day. A total of 26 species were seen. Thanks to Alex, Paul and Fiona for coming. Alister Clunas Sooty Shearwater (copyright Phil Wilson) This trip was planned originally for Thursday 21 September but a poor forecast and the likely disruption of the ferry service led to its postponement. Five people came on the trip on Saturday 23rd September and we arrived at the Calmac upstairs waiting room to be greeted by the “Viking” Gull in the harbour below us that appears to be resident in Ullapool. It had to be a good omen. A “Viking” Gull is a hybrid between a Herring and a Glaucous Gull. Could we count both species for the trip? On the outward journey highlights were: White-tailed Eagle Arctic Skua 2 dark phase and 3 pale phase Great Skua 1 Sooty Shearwater 50+ and a few Storm Petrels. The Saturday trip meant we had longer in Stornoway to enjoy a pleasant lunch at An Lanntair, the Arts Centre in Stornoway. The return journey turned up: Sooty Shearwater 90+ Manx Shearwater 3 Storm Petrel 1 Great Skua 4 It was a great trip for cetaceans with Harbour Porpoise, Common Dolphin and at least six Minke Whales. Only 26 bird species were seen but it was quality not quantity. Alister, Lesley, Phil, Michael and Sally. COn the first day of Storm Babet, Alex Joss led an intrepid band of three birders on our Thursday outing (Phil, Hugh and Sue). We met at the usual spot in Inverness and headed to the sheltered bays of Milton of Culloden, where a group of 10 or more Tree Sparrows were in the bushes along the road, and Allanfearn Sewage Works, where large flocks of Wigeons were spotted at the water’s edge. The tide was well out, but we scanned the foreshore for a while, just glad to be outdoors. Driving on to Alturlie Point, most sensible birds were sheltering elsewhere. We checked out Alturlie Pools where our ‘extra’ was a female Shoveler.
On to Strathpeffer and the lochs at Kinellan, heavily populated with a walking group, but few birds other than Tufted Ducks and Little Grebes and no signs of the hoped-for Brambling at Nether Kinellan. Again, all seemed to be lying low. We took a circular walk up the windswept reaches of Dingwall Canal, already full of water being pushed up by the wind, even though high tide was not for another 3 hours! We checked out the more sheltered inland waters for Kingfisher, but nothing to be seen today other than a small flock of Redwing devouring the holly berries at the Park. On our return to the point, a large brown bird, together with a group of corvids, flew low overhead . . . we looked at each other in disbelief for a moment . . . ‘what was that?. It was big . . . a juvenile White-tailed Eagle’ went up the cry! Well, there was one for the list that Alex didn’t expect - it certainly made up for the lack of Ruddy Shelduck that he was hoping to see again. We continued trying to identify birds sheltering in the north-west corner of the Firth, but we were too low down and the vegetation was too tall to see anything other than the odd head sticking up. We headed back to the cars as heavy rain started to drive into our faces, and just made it in good time! A delightful day out in exhilarating circumstances and weather. We managed to total 53 species with which we were all well pleased. lick here to edit. Osprey (Craig Forsyth) On a fine sunny morning 13 members met at North Kessock whilst others joined further north. Our first port of call was Tain Links where the tide was just going out. A single Osprey was admired catching a flatfish, followed by several more successful fishing Ospreys, 4 in total. Bar- and Black-tailed godwits joined good numbers of Oystercatchers and Redshank. Wigeon numbers are building up here, and 5 Shoveler and a flock of Pintails joined the common wildfowl and Shelducks. Pied Wagtails and Swallows were busy feeding. We crossed the Dornoch bridge into Sutherland, and our next stop was the Embo playing fields at southern end of Coul Links. It was already hot, with a warm west wind, comfortable for everyone, but not the right conditions here for warblers and other migrants. Migration can be pretty good in easterly winds and overnight rain! Arctic Skua (Josh Alan) But, not one to knock beautiful sunshine we moved to the pier at Embo, after hearing Blackcap, Chiffchaff and enjoying brief views of Sedge Warbler. Embo was very busy with folk. Some good birds were showing well, including a flock of 30+ Knots on the rocks (with some beautifully marked juveniles), Turnstones, Ringed Plovers and Redshanks. Eiders, Guillemots and Razorbills were joined by Shags, Gannets and Cormorants, and a nice looking 1st-winter Black Guillemot. Flying by were 3 Red-throated Divers, Common Scoters, a Sandwich Tern and Swallows. Not bad for a quiet day, and poor sea watching conditions. Everyone enjoyed the relaxed pace, warm t-shirt conditions and great views of all the seabirds. Party, led by Alan McAskill (Mary Galloway) We moved to Loch Fleet for lunch and it was already 2pm! The sandbars were full of Grey Seals, and Greenshanks were accompanied by a big gathering of Sandwich Terns, c200 present. They attracted a pale phase Arctic Skua, and later, a juvenile Pomarine Skua landed on the sandbar giving great views. Flocks of Grey geese, Mergansers and Goosander were present and more Bar-tailed Godwits. We were all reluctant to make a move from this beautiful spot after enjoying lunch, but time was moving on so round to The Mound, nothing much happening here, but Raven, House Martin, Kestrel, Buzzard and Red Kite were seen. Returning south we called in again at Embo, for much the same cast. Although we missed out on a few birds, like the juvenile Little gull, Ruff,or shearwaters due to calm sunny conditions it was a good day , and I am very grateful for everyone who made the effort to turn up, and pleased that everyone enjoyed the day and company. AlanMcAskill Five of us (including Alex our leader) managed to awake early and join forces at Maryburgh at 0500 on a dry, calm, albeit overcast day for our annual Dawn Chorus. Our stops began with exploring the scrubby and woodland area near the mouth of the river Conon. Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler were picked up in the scrub as was a brief song of a Garden Warbler which competed with several Blackcaps. For anyone who is uncertain of, or wishes to, improve bird song identification – a suggestion is to download the free app MERLIN by Cornell University on to your smartphone. About 98% accurate, it will identify birds in song at your location, can be saved and listened to again. Garden Warbler, Easter Moy Island, Conon (Dave Barnett) The woodland was full of song and it was more a case of listening whilst some managed to spot birds in the leafy canopy. Usual woodland birds were added to the list. A Common Sandpiper flew down the river on our return walk, whilst a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were spotted. We then stopped at Brahan estate, a wonderful area of mature trees and a small pond. The faint call of a Spotted Flycatcher was heard as we parked the cars but it was elusive. The pond had Tufted Ducks, Little Grebe, Moorhen, a pair of Reed Buntings whilst the woodland area gave us Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker, tits, Treecreeper, Blackbird and Song Thrush and on our way out we heard and saw the display flight of Tree Pipit. On to Easter Moy, over the rickety bridge into the area where the Sedge and Garden Warblers were in full song. One Garden Warbler kindly sat near the top of a tree, in full song, in the sunshine – Dave Barnett managed to get a good photo. There was also a ‘maybe’ Whinchat but not confirmed. Time was marching on – so off to Achilty oakwoods. All was fairly quiet but we walked up the track listening for Wood Warbler. These are delightful birds whose enthusiasm when singing is wonderful - the bird almost falls off the branch with its trilling! Eventually a distant one was heard, which came closer but could not be spotted. As we returned to the cars one began its song fairly close by but still wouldn’t show itself. The morning ended with bacon rolls at Tarvie Filling Station. Many thanks for Alex for leading us. Total 50 species. Reed Bunting, Brahan Estate pool (Dave Barnett)
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February 2024
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