Waiting for good Weather in Strathspey
Given the dire weather forecast, it was not surprising that only seven of the ten on the original attendance list made their way to the Loch Garten reserve for 9 o’clock, to be led by Pete Gordon, a last-minute substitute for John Poyner. Amazingly, the carpark was almost an oasis of slightly brighter skies and only light, intermittent showers. Pete made several valiant attempts to get a sighting of Crested Tits. They were heard at several places but always moving into the distance. Crossbills were less occasionally heard but too flighty to get a focus on. Within the woods the air was calm, but the exposed loch-sides were very inhospitable and the only birds seen at Loch Mallachie were two hardy Lesser Redpolls, pecking on the ground between the thrashing bushes. Back at the reserve, among the tits and Chaffinches, a solitary Treecreeper was a nice sighting. All the time, the light rain persisted, gradually dampening the bodies and spirits, so through the morning, some of the party, in ones and twos, jumped ship.
Given the dire weather forecast, it was not surprising that only seven of the ten on the original attendance list made their way to the Loch Garten reserve for 9 o’clock, to be led by Pete Gordon, a last-minute substitute for John Poyner. Amazingly, the carpark was almost an oasis of slightly brighter skies and only light, intermittent showers. Pete made several valiant attempts to get a sighting of Crested Tits. They were heard at several places but always moving into the distance. Crossbills were less occasionally heard but too flighty to get a focus on. Within the woods the air was calm, but the exposed loch-sides were very inhospitable and the only birds seen at Loch Mallachie were two hardy Lesser Redpolls, pecking on the ground between the thrashing bushes. Back at the reserve, among the tits and Chaffinches, a solitary Treecreeper was a nice sighting. All the time, the light rain persisted, gradually dampening the bodies and spirits, so through the morning, some of the party, in ones and twos, jumped ship.
Crippling views were had of Coal Tits but Cresties refused to oblige.
By 11 o’clock the rain was in full flow, with regular, sizeable puddles on the road along to Coylumbridge and Loch Morlich, where lunch was had, peering through the lashing rain and mists on the far side of the loch to try to count the Goldeneyes bobbing in the waves. Eventually, just as the last two of the party were setting off after finishing lunch, the blue skies arrived, so they treated themselves to a 20 minute survey of the Aviemore rubbish dump. Assorted corvids and gulls were present, but none with white wings. And that was the sunny weather interlude, as the driving rain, and sleet, quickly recommenced. To summarise, lots of birds were seen, Coal Tits and Chaffinches at the reserve, Mallards at Loch Morlich and Herring Gulls at the dump, but few species, although 21 was a better total than could be expected in the circumstances.
Alex Joss
Alex Joss
Great Tit, Coal Tit and Lesser Redpoll in the gloom.
RSS Feed
