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.
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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.
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