Highland Birding Holiday Day 4 : 11th October 2013
Highland Birding Holiday Day 4 : 11th October 2013
Our debriefing session with our guide, John Poyner, on the evening of the 10th was not the last time we saw him because the next morning after we checked out we returned to the Anagach Forest, near the hotel, where saw the Crested Tit on the first day. As we arrived, John was conduction a little tour with around eight clients. As we waiting for the Crestie to turn up we saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Robin, Coal and Great Tit and a Red Squirrel. John’s party gave up waiting for the Crested Tit but I stayed on longer and eventually it appeared. I had taken my camera and 500mm lens so I actually managed to get a few pictures – not brilliant because it was a little dark in the woods so I had to ramp up the ISO but I was happy nevertheless.
A nice ending to three great days of birding in the highlands. I eventually dragged myself out of the woods and we drove down from Grantown-on-Spey around the edge of the Cairngorm National Park. The day had started off worryingly misty but after around half an hour it turned into a beautiful day and we had the most gloriously scenic drive down through the highlands in all its autumn splendour. We drove via Pitlochry, swerved around Perth and Glasgow and ended up in the small village of Hightae near Lockerbie where we stayed at the somewhat unusual Hightae Inn where we had a good night’s sleep and woke to the sound of the birds in the gardens around us.