Scotland 2017

Sunday April 30 Seven Moths in the trap this morning. Five macros and two micros. We potted them and left them in the fridge (accepted as humane !) to be identified later. One is an Early Tooth-stripe, 1 Red Chestnut, 1 Common Quaker, 1 Hebrew Character. The 2 Micros are for later..... I looked up the Moray region Butterfly Conservation website this morniing and then contacted the local Moth Recorder  - who lives in this road ! This is the correspondence:  Hello We are up from Norfolk, staying in Kinchurdy Road - Craigowrie Cottage - until next Friday and moth trapping every night. I've brought a 40watt actinic suitcase trap. We trapped 7 species last night, 2  micros, 1 a Hebrew Character. The others will be ID'd when we come back from birding the coast. We are very keen to see Kentish Glory and I'm very disappointed to miss next weekend's trapping at Loch Insh. Any advice you can give would be very welcome - I quite understand if yo...

Saturday April 29 Neither of us was in a hurry to start the day. I finished a book on my Kindle, Pam pottered about in her nightie. Just like home on non mothing days ! The local paper shop had a Telegraph for me, the Saturday edition is my favourite, that left only anti-histamine pills for Pam to buy in Aviemore. Occasionally small clusters of spots appear, a result of the Shingles she had last year. Where should we go to avoid the Bank Holiday weekend crowds. Nethy Bridge and Broomhill Bridge. Yes. A Dipper , perched on a small twig before flying across the river.  Dorback next, our Black Grouse spot. Not to-day. A distant black blob was a possibility but viewing, is very difficult. A Buzzard on the way back raised the ante. Lovely views of the Cairngorm heights, with enough snow to make it interesting. We spent an hour in Loch Garten car park, watching the feeders, which were almost empty. Nothing was tempted by our scattered seed. Blue, Coal and Great Tits, Gre...

Friday April 28 Away shortly before nine - Loch O Lowes doesn't open until 9 , or so we thought. The A9 is only a quarter of a mile away from the TraveLodge and Dunkeld a forty minute drive. Loch O Lowes is a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve which has two hides overlooking a long used Osprey nest , high in the top of a tree on the other side of the loch. Several workers walking about, a sprinkling of cars in the car park and locked doors to Reception. The tower hide is open to members 24/7, reception and shop at 10 a.m. We sat in a hide until it was opening time, the only other occupants a nest watcher totally pre-occupied with trying to get on line on her IPad mini (Electricity cut !) and a dour, non-responsive and dumb older woman. Mother? Having had a good look at the sitting Osprey's head, a pair of mating Great Crested Grebes, a few pairs of Goldeneye and some Mute Swans, we went back to reception. There's a great plate glass viewing area overlooking birch...

Thursday April 27 I went downstairs forty minutes early for the 8.00 a.m breakfast (earliest offered), in order to load yesterday's Blog and to add a few photos. I have since, added one more photo and enhanced two of the others for yesterday's entry.  Pam had ordered me a full breakfast - apart from black pudding which she doesn't like - telling the cook that she would eat whatever I didn't want ! What I ate was delicious.  We couldn't leave this very pleasant, comfortable and friendly little hotel without  another Black Grouse visit. Before that, we drove the road to Cow Green reservoir along the road immediately next to the hotel. Within 400 metres we had a hunting Short-eared Owl. Brilliant, I love them. The 'busy streaks ' in the photo is rain. A very mizzly morning. No big lek this morning, a few scattered birds, no more than six in view, including a female. They must have scattered after an early morning performance. The females should b...

Wednesday April 26 Not the hectic early morning start to which we’ve become accustomed. ‘Only’ a five hour journey to Langdon Beck Hotel in Teesdale, County Durham. I didn’t even pack my case nor the car until after 8.00 a.m. We were off at 10.25, having to avoid two large lorries bringing the materials for the Hughes’s new stone-weave drive. It was a weather person’s ‘day of sunshine and showers’ cliche. The showers were not prolonged nor frequent, just sudden, violent and wintry, the brisk northerly hurling hard sleet, noisily, onto the windscreen. The panoramic views viewable from the A17 also showed navy blue skies, towering cumulus and blue sunshine. Spectacular. We left the A1 at Scotch Corner after a loo and shop stop at the service station. Gregg’s steak, caramelised onion and cheese, crisp, half baguette was saved for a very late lunch/early supper. The road to Teesdale was a lovely route through lush green hillsides, stone walled and sheep and lamb strewn. Small village...

Scotland April 26 – May 22 2017 April 26                   Drive to Langdon Beck Hotel, Forest-in Teesdale. Black Grouse Lek. April 27                    Kinross Travelodge     KY 13 0NQ April 28 - 5              Drive to Boat of Garten                               Craigowrie Cottage                               Kinchurdy Rd                    ...