Up in The Highlands 3

Day four of our stay was spent at Marr Lodge after a lovely, scenic drive through the moors of Aberdeenshire.

We did a longish walk up the valley from there and back and at an early stage encountered some birds at the top of some young conifers.  Some were pipits and I thought I saw a couple of linnets but the one decent photo we got might be of a young stonechat.  It's a bit hard to be sure from the front on view:

Linnet or stonechat?

On the basis of the above I'd say stonechat but another poorer photo I got of a bird in the same flock looks more like a linnet.  After that there was a stretch of path where we had to avoid treading on small millipedes on the path, at least fifteen that I came across and a large moth caterpillar on a rock. Again I'm not sure which kind as fox moth and drinker moth caterpillars look quite similar.

Drinker or Fox Moth Caterpillar?

Millipede

Continuing the insect theme, we came across this moth more than once.  After consulting with an expert, I can establish that it was a common heath.

Common Heath

The colouring of this species can vary a bit, it seems.

Further up the path we were noticing more and more pipits.  I assumed they were all meadow pipits but was pleased to note that one was clearly a tree pipit as I hadn't seen the one the day before.

Tree Pipit

Meadow Pipit

On the way back we followed the river through the woods where there are some striking rocky waterfalls.  As well as more tree pipits, we were saying how surprising it was that we hadn't seen a dipper when suddenly one flew past us upriver.

The journey back the day after was a touch disappointing.  We visited a supposed red squirrel feeder station near Boat of Garten but saw no squirrels and one site that was more a tourist walk.  It was also advising the presence of red squirrels as did most other places visited but we saw none at all during the whole stay.  We drove on to the Lough of The Lowes site only to arrive 15 minutes before it closed, thus unfortunately depriving us of apparently the best view of an osprey nest in the UK.

The was a slight consolation at The Hermitage nearby where we saw the tallest pine trees in the country, numerous wagtails and more impressive waterfalls.  And on the way up we did catch up with a dipper, sitting completely still on a stone.  It was still there in exactly the same position when we passed by again an hour later.

Dipper

Up in the Highlands 2

On day three we returned for some more eagle spotting.  By now the weather, which had gradually become cooler was distinctly chilly and we spent an hour snoozing in the car when it got heavy.

The cool turn had a decided effect on the chances of seeing butterflies and during the whole trip all we saw was half a dozen ambient whites and a single orange tip.

From the point of view of eagles, it was pretty much business as day one i.e. occasional distant and often uncertain sightings.  Overall we managed around half a dozen firm sightings over the two days and did not manage to convince ourselves that any of them were white-tailed rather than golden eagles.

However there was good compensation in the form of a variety of other species.  There was already some action on the way along the valley when I spotted a chaffinch-coloured bird flying over the road.  Rather baffled by its definite white rump, I eventually worked out it was probably a juvenile bullfinch.  More puzzling was what appeared to be a blackbird with pronounced white flashes on both upper wings and I haven't worked that one out at all.  Another flypast was a female redstart - a pleasant surprise as their distribution in the area is somewhat sparse.

On arrival at the parking area, Vicki spotted a golden plover with chicks by the nearby woods, so I took a wander back to see if I could find them.  I spotted a swallow on the telegraph wires, at which point a female mallard emerged from the roadside undergrowth and scuttled off at pace through the woods towards a nearby stream.

I noticed some movement by the water and decided to investigate.  As I approached two ducks fled downstream, each followed by a number of chicks.  I assumed they were mallards but having seen the photograph I managed to get, I'm not so sure about the second group.  In fact I wouldn't like to say what they are. Possible candidates might be gadwall (not common in Highlands) or female and young goldeneye.

Duck with chicks

As you can just see, they were also accompanied by a sand martin, one of a large number of hirondelles flying over the water at speed.

Back on the eagle spot, there was what looked like a merlin perched on the craggy rocks high behind us. Photos taken weren't entirely convincing but the fast, direct flight when it moved off persuaded me it wasn't a kestrel.  

The presence of swallows was confirmed when a couple perched on a nearby bridge for several minutes.  It's not often they are near enough long enough to see the red face and neck.

Swallow

Less conspicuously, a grey wagtail turned up several times during the day.

Grey Wagtail

Vicki took a little walk upstream towards an area of trees where ring ouzels are said to appear.  I had tried the same area on day one without success but, staying nearer the river, she managed to snap a tree pipit right on the edge of the riverbank.

We also saw red deer on several occasions and I got a glimpse of a mountain hare, but no mountain goats.

In spite of a late change of location to an area where white eagles can occur, we did not manage anything as spectacular as this photo Vicki took she and Alex visited in April:

Golden Eagles

24rd June and 25th June

Went up the Ahorn lift and walked to Edelhutte.  A bit cloudy so not so rich in butterflies but highlighted by excellent view of male and female ring ouzel that flew fortuitously into tree just past a rock edge as I was approaching.  I even knew from the calls and could readily see the white edgings to male's feather patterns but was 90% luck - right place at right time. Got photographs but too blurred to show much.

I saw several crag martins (apparently) and an annoying pipit that clearly wasn't a meadow pipit and kept flying up at 45 degrees chirruping all the way and back down onto the same rock.  This may have been a water pippet, which does occur in the Tirol.  Also several black redstarts.



The next day rain interrupted walk up one of the valleys towards Schlegeis at Teufelsbrucke.  Only one butterfly, but did get very good view of redstart in hedgerow which was constantly tutting and calling and seemed to follow me around.  There were also some tits moving around non-stop that at first I took for willow or marsh tits but there bibs were far too big, extending way down onto chest.  Again there are one or two rarities that looked possible but on balance I think they must have been the local variation of coal tit without the usual pinkish hue and white stripe at back of head.  My German bird book indicates some difference and some photographs of the Tannenmeise do look very like willow/marsh tit.