17th and 18th January

Had a good couple of days up in the Highlands on my way back up to North Ronaldsay, it was gorgeous in the light snow which fell the day before and the bright, clear sunshine, very cold though getting down to -8 at night.   Highlights included my first UK Capercaillie with decent flight views of a female and brief views of a male as I flushed them from trees along a track somewhere above Carrbridge, a few Crested Tits scattered around the place and a 2cy Golden Eagle in the hills up Strathdearn where there was also a Peregrine and good numbers of Red Grouse.  

Other bits comprised several Red Squirrels and plenty of Coal Tits, Treecreepers, Siskins, Redpolls and Bullfinches – which were kind of interesting as many of them were feeding out in the snow-covered Heather as well as a couple seen flying high south, high up over a bare moorland covered hillside, may they be continental birds as this doesn’t seen like British birds behaviour?

Crested Tit

Golden Eagle

Red Grouse

Treecreeper

Bullfinches

11th September

The very pleasant conditions remain but the easterly wind gradually built up through the morning from flat calm to force 7 by lunchtime; three Redstarts and a Treecreeper (the first to be caught this autumn) were the highlights in the nets but the best bird of the day came mid-morning when a 1^st winter Golden Eagle drifted slowly over the lighthouse – they breed not far away from here in the mountains but are very scarce out here in the recording area, indeed it appears that this is the first ever September record (the majority of the records are in October / November with a handful of winter and one spring record).

                There were good numbers of other raptors around including 15+ Sparrowhawks and a Marsh Harrier which headed south out to sea while other birds included a Lapland Bunting over, a Hen Harrier over the fields, 2 Grey Wagtails, 20+ Yellow Wagtails, a couple of Siskin flocks, 2 Little Stints with a flock of Dunlin along the shore and a Common Tern, a Velvet Scoter and a Red-breasted Merganser on the sea.

                The afternoon produced more raptors including a male Goshawk, at least 5 Peregrines and 2 Merlins as well as a Red-throated Pipit feeding in the newly cut fields at Vågsvollmarka, 2 Pintail in Vågsvollvika, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 more Redstarts, 10 Tree Pipits, a single Whinchat remaining and another Treecreeper.

 

 

Treecreeper

Golden Eagle

Goshawk