Highlands Birding Break : Summary

Highlands Birding Break : Summary

The main reason for returning to Grantown-on-Spey at this time of year was that we had missed some of our usual highland birds as a result of being a bit later than Spring. We didn’t have a choice in the matter because we were en route to visit my brother for his 70th birthday. So, I hoped to get some year ticks and boost my “year list” which has been stuck at 188 for a while. Although I didn’t get Ptarmigan or Capercaillie I did get a few new “ticks” and got 85 species in all, which wasn’t too bad for a long weekend.

The year ticks were Long Tailed Duck and Black Guillemot at Chanonry Point, the former also at Alturlie Point on the 15th October.

Crested Tit at Loch Garten and Golden Eagle at Strathdearn on the 16th October, the latter also on Dava Moor on the 17th October.

Black Grouse at Dorback and Red Throated Diver at Roseisle also on the 17th October.

So these six “ticks” took my year list up to 194. Ticks alone do not really describe the joys of Autumn in the Highlands thoush and, despite some heavy rain and winds, there were good clear and still days or parts of days so the whole trip felt well worthwhile and as usual the services of John Poyner and the Grant Arms Hotel  and the Bird Watching and Wildlife Club were unsurpassed.