Pam peeped out of the curtains during the night and found that it had snowed. We must have been on the northern edge of the forecast snow belt. We were in no hurry to leave and much of it had turned to slush apart from the car's covering - 4 inches deep on the windscreen. I can't reach the centre of the latter - nor much of the roof - with the scraper but, we were safe to drive off at 8.30.
The SatNav took us on a very scenic route to Vane Farm RSPB. It was beautiful. The roads were clear so no worry there, the hills and fields covered in snow, lambs gambolling in the white stuff with occasional sun to gild the high points.
It was very cold at Vane Farm RSPB. Scoping the huge loch and its surrounding area was a penance, especially as the only birds in view were at least 150 Tufted Duck, Mute Swans, and a few hardy Sand Martins. I bet they were sorry they came. From the car park we saw Willow Warbler, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Goldfinch !
It's not far along the A9 to Dunkeld where we turn off for the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Reserve of Loch O'the Lowes. I believe that it's the site of the first Osprey nest in Scotland, must check that. (No it isn't, Loch garten is). Not easy to find as the signs merely say Nature Reserve. It's one of our favourite stops. A short walk down a wooded drive to the Centre to pay our dues and then sit and view the feeders through a large window. Not ideal photography conditions but very enjoyable.
Siskin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch - one with a cream head, named Blondie, Mallard, Pheasant, Yellowhammer, all feeding happily until scattered by a marauding Red Squirrel.
The latter was not constant, often seen scampering through the undergrowth, sometimes making a quick sortie into a distant peanut feeder. Quite delightful, its ear tufts and tail streaming in the wind.
The centre has the, now usual, live camera stream showing on a screen in the centre. I watched the female Osprey stand, shuffle the eggs about and quickly sit down again.
Time to climb the stairs to the very narrow tower hide, where we found a couple hogging the two scopes, a volunteer at the one in the corner. I sat at a back bench to set up my Swarovski , bad timing, the male came in, flew around a bit and went off again. The understandable excitement from the couple completely obscured my view. I was left to enjoy the female's head on the nest.
When the couple left, I scanned the large loch finding Canada Geese, Great Crested Grebes, Goldeneyes, one Mute Swan and a cloud of hirundines hawking the surface. Well over a 100, almost wholly Sand Martins with their buzzing contact calls. We saw one Swallow and one House Martin.
When the volunteer eventually realised that we were talking to her, she turned out to be a bit deaf and was trussed up like a Hobbitt. She had to remove her hood and woolly hat from one ear to hear. She'd also been on duty from 5-10 last night when the snow was blowing straight into the hide. She'd been very cold despite her hot water bottle. The male Osprey had brought in a huge headless salmon - they always eat the head themselves before presenting it to the female - so the bird probably wasn't hungry this morning. The volunteer stated that this female didn't like eels and if he brought her one, she'd accept it with disdain before flying off to drop it. Hobbitt had also been to the Gambia in January and had been lucky enough to see one of last year's Lowes satellite tagged young. The birds are named after their appearance here e.g. LM 15 = Lowes Male No.15. LF = female.
A quick look from a lower and empty hide before returning for a hot drink and more feeder watching in the centre. Pam received a very good lesson on how to tell female Ospreys from males. I missed most of it but it's something to do with the amount of spotting on the chest and the shape of the black on the face. Must see if Pam remembers the exact details.
After a phone text from HSBC this morning, Pam was having a bank crisis. No HSBC in Aviemore but a very helpful RBS employee found the address of one in Inverness. Off we went. The SatNav found the area and Pam found the multistorey entrance which was ideal. The bank was in a shopping precinct. So was a large M and S !!
All sorts of weather now, ending with bulleting hail, seeming to dent my skin, as we walked back to the car.
Panic over, we decided to pay a visit to Alturlie Point to make the most of our enforced detour. The tide was way out in the firth but on its way back in. Hooded Crow amongst many Carrion Crows. Many Goldeneye, at least 15 Red-breasted Mergansers, two black-bellied Dunlin, Whimbrel, Redshank. 5 Scaup, one a male, were nearer to the far shore than to ours, my scope managed to pick them up.The pebbly shore with its seaweed tide drifts had many darting White Wagtails and dashing Meadow Pipits. This Grey Heron fished in the murk.
We'd followed what was obviously a tour group in two unmarked black minibuses, which had got to the end far sooner than us. I wanted to tell the leader about the Scaup, in case they'd missed them. Instead, Pam turned round and parked beyond where the group was scoping. The young be-spectacled leader then joined us to point out two summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes fairly close in, hidden from us by gorse. Excellent. I set up my scope and had time to find and enjoy them when a short woman very well clad against the cold, left the group saying, ' I thought it was you'. The third of we three musketeers (that's what the group called us), who spent a week with Heatherlea at their Mountview Hotel in Nethy Bridge for Pam's 75th birthday treat. She re-lived some of our more entertaining experiences and......the grebes had gone. No photos.
Good to see her again. Neither of us can remember her name though, frustrating.
The leader had also told us about an Iceland Gull in a ploughed field near the railway line. Many other gulls in the field + the inevitable corvids, the grotty juvenile (the adults are such a lovely white ), Iceland Gull stood on a ridge at the back of the field. Here's the best I could manage. At least it's identifiable.
Deciding to go 'home' the pretty way, via Lochindorb, meant more awful traffic jams approaching Nairn. It was great to turn off on the Grantown road. Poor light by the time we got to beloved Lochindorb. This Common Gull stood against what light there was, as did the only Red Grouse we saw. I hope for better photos later.
Towards the middle of the empty loch, Pam called a Roe Deer on the hillside, looking at us challengingly - or was it just wary - from a distance (of course).
Craigowrie Cottage in Boat of Garten was a welcome sight. I emptied the car, carrying the stuff as far as the, still unpainted, front door, Pam sorting the inside. Lovely and warm too, all the heaters on. I finished Thursday's Blog, sorted to-day's photographs and retired to bed.
I wrote this on Saturday morning, rising early on a beautifully sunny morning.
Siskin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch - one with a cream head, named Blondie, Mallard, Pheasant, Yellowhammer, all feeding happily until scattered by a marauding Red Squirrel.
The latter was not constant, often seen scampering through the undergrowth, sometimes making a quick sortie into a distant peanut feeder. Quite delightful, its ear tufts and tail streaming in the wind.
The centre has the, now usual, live camera stream showing on a screen in the centre. I watched the female Osprey stand, shuffle the eggs about and quickly sit down again.
Time to climb the stairs to the very narrow tower hide, where we found a couple hogging the two scopes, a volunteer at the one in the corner. I sat at a back bench to set up my Swarovski , bad timing, the male came in, flew around a bit and went off again. The understandable excitement from the couple completely obscured my view. I was left to enjoy the female's head on the nest.
When the couple left, I scanned the large loch finding Canada Geese, Great Crested Grebes, Goldeneyes, one Mute Swan and a cloud of hirundines hawking the surface. Well over a 100, almost wholly Sand Martins with their buzzing contact calls. We saw one Swallow and one House Martin.
When the volunteer eventually realised that we were talking to her, she turned out to be a bit deaf and was trussed up like a Hobbitt. She had to remove her hood and woolly hat from one ear to hear. She'd also been on duty from 5-10 last night when the snow was blowing straight into the hide. She'd been very cold despite her hot water bottle. The male Osprey had brought in a huge headless salmon - they always eat the head themselves before presenting it to the female - so the bird probably wasn't hungry this morning. The volunteer stated that this female didn't like eels and if he brought her one, she'd accept it with disdain before flying off to drop it. Hobbitt had also been to the Gambia in January and had been lucky enough to see one of last year's Lowes satellite tagged young. The birds are named after their appearance here e.g. LM 15 = Lowes Male No.15. LF = female.
A quick look from a lower and empty hide before returning for a hot drink and more feeder watching in the centre. Pam received a very good lesson on how to tell female Ospreys from males. I missed most of it but it's something to do with the amount of spotting on the chest and the shape of the black on the face. Must see if Pam remembers the exact details.
After a phone text from HSBC this morning, Pam was having a bank crisis. No HSBC in Aviemore but a very helpful RBS employee found the address of one in Inverness. Off we went. The SatNav found the area and Pam found the multistorey entrance which was ideal. The bank was in a shopping precinct. So was a large M and S !!
All sorts of weather now, ending with bulleting hail, seeming to dent my skin, as we walked back to the car.
Panic over, we decided to pay a visit to Alturlie Point to make the most of our enforced detour. The tide was way out in the firth but on its way back in. Hooded Crow amongst many Carrion Crows. Many Goldeneye, at least 15 Red-breasted Mergansers, two black-bellied Dunlin, Whimbrel, Redshank. 5 Scaup, one a male, were nearer to the far shore than to ours, my scope managed to pick them up.The pebbly shore with its seaweed tide drifts had many darting White Wagtails and dashing Meadow Pipits. This Grey Heron fished in the murk.
We'd followed what was obviously a tour group in two unmarked black minibuses, which had got to the end far sooner than us. I wanted to tell the leader about the Scaup, in case they'd missed them. Instead, Pam turned round and parked beyond where the group was scoping. The young be-spectacled leader then joined us to point out two summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes fairly close in, hidden from us by gorse. Excellent. I set up my scope and had time to find and enjoy them when a short woman very well clad against the cold, left the group saying, ' I thought it was you'. The third of we three musketeers (that's what the group called us), who spent a week with Heatherlea at their Mountview Hotel in Nethy Bridge for Pam's 75th birthday treat. She re-lived some of our more entertaining experiences and......the grebes had gone. No photos.
Good to see her again. Neither of us can remember her name though, frustrating.
The leader had also told us about an Iceland Gull in a ploughed field near the railway line. Many other gulls in the field + the inevitable corvids, the grotty juvenile (the adults are such a lovely white ), Iceland Gull stood on a ridge at the back of the field. Here's the best I could manage. At least it's identifiable.
Deciding to go 'home' the pretty way, via Lochindorb, meant more awful traffic jams approaching Nairn. It was great to turn off on the Grantown road. Poor light by the time we got to beloved Lochindorb. This Common Gull stood against what light there was, as did the only Red Grouse we saw. I hope for better photos later.
Towards the middle of the empty loch, Pam called a Roe Deer on the hillside, looking at us challengingly - or was it just wary - from a distance (of course).
Craigowrie Cottage in Boat of Garten was a welcome sight. I emptied the car, carrying the stuff as far as the, still unpainted, front door, Pam sorting the inside. Lovely and warm too, all the heaters on. I finished Thursday's Blog, sorted to-day's photographs and retired to bed.
I wrote this on Saturday morning, rising early on a beautifully sunny morning.
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