Across the Pennines

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 be nesting by now,  still the  males perform.

The trans Pennine, west/east B6277 road is a switchback of valleys and moors, very steep gradients and hairpin bends, the spectacular scenery sharpening the driver's concentration. That didn't prevent Pam from seeing four very close male Black Grouse which, unfortunately, flew as soon as we stopped. They were nestled in tussocks .

We reached the east coast and the A1 near Morpeth, in the northern outskirts of Newcastle. I was disappointed to have missed the iconic Angel of the North.........

Our first real stop was the bay of Skatteraw, north east of Torness Power Station. The latter's looming, snow white cement and chimneyed cube overpowering the small attractive bay below. It's a favourite place, I was extolling its virtues to PW last week. I'm glad that she wasn't there to-day. No waders nor passerines, apart from Swallows. The only birds on the sea Eiders, one Shag and a few disconsolate looking Cormorants atop yet another concrete cube. And it was raining.

Even the Snowy Owl, in a large cage near the entrance, was hiding on the floor. One Tree Sparrow gave itself up eventually. Just as well we'd picked up our  Gannet sighting at Cove.

High tide at Aberlady Bay covering the mud meant that the twenty or so Black-tailed Godwits huddled near the bridge.

Longniddry Bents No 3 is a car park near the entrance to the Firth of Forth leading to Edinburgh. Again, disappointing in comparison with previous years. Patient and diligent scoping of the extensive seascape produced a scattering of summer plumaged Long-tailed Ducks, a couple of Common Scoter and a single male Red-breasted Merganser. The few terns visible for a short period were much too distant to ID. Where have the waders gone? And the Divers and Grebes ?Two Linnets on the beach were a bonus, seldom seen in Scotland by us.

The Edinburgh bypass is always a pain. It's a very long way round, tortuous and heavily trafficked. Eventually one arrives at the, now three, Forth Bridges. We travelled the cental one, the third still under construction, much more of a complete piece of architecture than last year, when there were gaps. It's most impressive and, very different from the other two - which are very different from each other. 

Not yet 4.00, we decided to visit RSPB Loch Leven to-night rather than in the morning. It's an enormous lake which we view from the roadside. The reserve parking area had singing Blackcap, Wren, our first Willow Warbler, Long-tailed Tit and a Blue Tit hanging on some Lime Flowers. Would have made for a lovely photo if the light had been right.

Scanning the nearer Loch water and pools, discovering at least 50 Tufted Ducks, a large group of Greylag, four loitering Pinkfooted Geese, two Shoveller, a few Shelduck and five browsing Wigeon. Not riveting.

Kinross TraveLodge for the night. Pam is settled watching Man City/Man United on my IPad via SkyGo, I'm looking forward to my Kindle and bed - except that I left my hot water bottle at Langdon Beck !! Having told myself not to forget it.