Findhorn Valley

A trip to Scotland isn't complete without a drive down the Findhorn Valley. We have never seen so many red deer as this year, they seemed to be everywhere you looked on the tops and high slopes. Birds here included a pair of ring ouzels, wheatears, whinchats amd a single peregrine but the highlight of the day was the pair of golden eagles that were displaying at the end  of the valley. We watched them dancing for an hour, on and off. They were always very distant but unmistakable! 

Ring Ouzels, Cairngorm

A pair of ring ouzels were busy collecting worms on the top of Cairngorm. It's nice to see them on passage but even better to see them breeding. They were soon up and away once the masses arrived.

Scottish Lochs

Loch Insh 

 Loch An Eilein

This was supposed to be the third prettiest Loch in Scotland. Not too sure why it was given that award as we thought it was a total waste of our £3 entry fee !  What is so pretty about this ? Absolutely nothing to see apart from 6 mallard in a corner. We were fleeced ! 

Loch Ruthven 

Loch Ruthven. We saw 5 Slavonian Grebes on here but the fishermen that constantly row around searching for the ultimate trout, keep them on the far side. An osprey was fishing overhead.

Farr Road

This really is how you imagine the Scottish highlands to be, the scenery is breathtaking as is the temperature and biting wind ! To say this is a grouse moor was very disappointing as saw very few grouse. A local biker stopped for a chat and he told us that it was destined for a windfarm, although with their subsidy loss that application  may have now been scrapped! What was the biggest disappointment was the total lack of raptors, not one. None, zero, an absolute disgrace that Scotland should be ashamed of. We intend to write not only to our MP but to Nicola Sturgeon also to let them know about the total wipe-out of raptors on the grouse moors. . I will let you know their replys. It's unbelievable that an area that stretches for miles and miles in every direction is totally devoid of bird life. Disgraceful. Scotland, you should be ashamed of yourself. 

A few garden birds

Great-spotted woodpecker 

Mistle Thrush 

Red-legged Partridge 

Siskin

We had some good birds visit our feeders during the week but the highlight had to be the early morning sound of a very close capercaillie. It called for two mornings at 6am but try as we did, we could not locate it. 

Cairngorn, Scotland

We have never been up to the top of Cairngorm on the train before so when the sky was clear and blue on Monday (and all the weekend walkers had gone) we treated ourselves to the trip. It was an 8 minute journey that cost £12,50, they must be coining it in. It was such a pity that you couldn't walk out from the ski centre yet people could mountain bike everywhere and the paths were strewn with plastic bottles. A bit of a double standard there.  We were on the first train up and were the first out onto the viewing area. The view was absolutely stunning. A pair of Ring Ouzels were feeding and we had excellent views before the masses of people arriving flushed them. We looked and scoured the rocks and scree for ptarmigan and didn't think we would be lucky until a pair flew past us and landed nicely behind the fence where they stayed preening and feeding all morning. We could just make them out through the fence with the scope, one occasionally sticking it's head up and looking round but they never came from behind the fence. A fabulous morning.

Red Squirrels in our garden at Inveruglas, Insh

A family of 4 visited the garden every day. Never tired of watching them infact the second day, Karen was up at 5am just so she could sit and watch them !  

Lincoln Cathedral Peregrine Falcons

These photographs were taken by James Newton who is a member of staff at Lincoln Cathedral.
We are publishing them with his permission.