A Good Start to the Year

 So we are 12 days into 2023 and this is our first post of the year. I''ll start with a short walk at Loch Leven on New Years Day from the Kirkgate car park to the screen overlooking the Loch. It was actually very quiet with not a lot to report, some Mute Swans of course, a few Goldeneye, a flock of Lapwing racing around the loch edge from the viewpoint. But the highlight was a very confiding Goldcrest near the screen:

Sadly by the car park was a poorly Pink-footed Goose;

The aforementioned Lapwing:

and some trees!!

On the 2nd we took are annual winter pilgrimage up to Braemar. Lots of snow when we arrived, the Glenshee Ski Centre car park was rammed, so we passed on through down to Braemar, we usually stop to look for Mountain Hare and Snow Buntings but too many people!!

The following day the weather wasn't great so we took a drive down the Linn of Dee, again it was very quiet, but we did manage to find a Dipper on the Dee.

We did go looking for Crossbills at Invercauld but to no avail. We had wanted to go for a walk but the weather precluded that.

Next day we headed over the Lecht and visited Loch Garten to look for Crested Tit, these have surprisingly eluded us on our last two visits, but this time they came out to play!

We also saw Great Spotted Woodpecker and Treecreeper which was nice,

as well as the usual Tits, Robin and Chaffinch,

After Loch Garten we dropped by the hide in Boat of Garten overlooking a frozen Milton Loch on the edge of the village, the only things on the Loch were Mallard, so I thought I should take a photo!

From there we drove up to the Cairngorm Ski Centre to see if anything was about and were rewarded with Snow Buntings by the car park:

 By now it was starting to get dark so we started the drive back to Braemar.

Next day we went walking locally around Braemar and along the Old Military Road at the back of the village, but little was seen.

Our next day out was to Glen Muick on the Balmoral Estate for a longish walk. Again we saw very little, some Red Deer, Rabbit and a Raven flying through, but no Grouse, we usually see Red and Black but neither this time. We stopped for a for a coffee at the end of the walk at the visitor centre, when we heard load "chip chips" and a flock of birds descended on the tops of the Scots Pines, Crossbills!! Unfortunately the light was terrible, so I won't bother with adding a photo of the Crossbills, but here's some scenery instead!

Finally we had a day out at Loch of Kinnordy and Loch of Lintrathen over in Angus. There was still a lot of ice on the Lochs that the ducks were using:

We also saw our first Pintails for a long time (left of the Swan!)

Kinnordy is always reliable for Red Squirrel,

a Robin posed nicely,

while a Buzzard did a fly past,

Long-tailed Tits are an absolute delight,

and it was great to get our first Tree Sparrows of theyear,

So a nice start to our birding year..... 49 species so far!

Trials and Tribulations in the Cairngorms (Braemar)

 Last Saturday we took one of regular trips up to the Cairngorms and stayed in Braemar for the week. We settled in on the Saturday afternoon after meandering through Glenshee, seeing Red Grouse, Red Deer and distant Mountain Hare. Then about 6pm the power went off! We still had a flask of hot water and had bought some cooked chicken with us, so chicken salad for tea!

During the night the power came back on, Hurrah! It was ****** cold though as all the heating was electric!  But to play safe we didn't go far and stayed local, around the Linn of Dee and Glenshee. With sightings of Dipper on Clunie Water that was good start and some Siskin on the golf course,

but nothing on the River Dee and just Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits on the Mar Lodge Estate. We came back early to make sure we could cook and make some flasks up just in case the power went again. Then storm Corrie hit and the power went off again about 10pm. So early to bed! 

The power was still off in the morning so no shower (Electric!!) Upon checking, the power wasn't due back on until Tuesday, so we took the decision to head home for the night (we were only 1 hour 40mins away) and get warm and make sure we could get hot food and drinks.

We got a message Tuesday morning that the power was back on, so we drove back via RSPB Loch Kinnordy, only to find the reserve was closed due to fallen and dangerous trees. So plan B, Loch Lintrathen which is Scottish Wildlife Trust and has hides only to find fallen trees thwarting us again. We therefore carried on to Backwater Reservoir, seeing very little, just some Crows, Rooks, a Buzzard, but finally two male Goosander by the dam. So back to Braemar, taking the old military road that runs parallel to the A93 as we dropped down into the Glen, again Dipper were seen on Clunie Water. We did get good views of Red Grouse at Glenshee:

and Red Deer:

Finally back on plan on the Wednesday we went to Lock Muick on the Balmoral Estate. Finally some photos!

Not much wildlife, so some scenic shots!

Having said not much wildlife we did see a juvenile Golden Eagle (flew over the car as we got there with prey and disappeared over the ridge before we could stop and get the camera!) and also a couple of Black Grouse that flew over on our walk.

The next morning back in Braemar we had a bit of a Red Squirrel fest outside our flat:

We drove over the Lecht and on to Garten today, hoping for Snow Bunting at the Lecht and Crested Tit at Garten. We saw neither! In past years they have been really reliable at both spots but not this year. Plenty of obliging Coal Tit though:

Our final day and we visited the Muir of Dinnet NNR where we added Bullfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldeneye, and Whooper Swans. But again very quiet. So a few pics from Dinnet: