Early Success

Tuesday May 2

For birders, catching the first funicular up Cairngorm is essential. It's not until 10 a.m. after the skiing season, not a painful time, we were in the car park soon after 9.30. Seeing someone armed with a camera stalking something in the bottom car park, we too had a look. A male Ring Ousel was collecting nesting material. When we return.......
We found the lift to the ticket area, which was a boon. I sat in the ticket only area whilst Pam bought the £12.50, concessionary, use all day, tickets.
I saw a female Ring Ousel near the first station, Pam missed it but, pointed out the only Red Grouse we saw all day.
When we disembarked, the driver said '' normal people to the left, birders to the right''. We went straight to the viewing platform, the others through the Cairngorm information room. One large birding group was already present - I'm slow. Good, the more eyes the better. The viewing area is big enough and a pleasure to-day. Despite there still being some impacted snow on which to stand, it was a beautiful day. Blue sky and virtually no wind. That's only the second time in all our visits that it's been warm enough without gloves, there's usually a howling gale.
Fifteen minutes after arrival, the first Willow Grouse/Ptarmigan had been located. Male, its red eyebrow obvious, it sat on a bare mound beside a tall stanchion. Long enough for everyone to see it through their own or another's scope. I carried my scope - no camera again - all who used it were very grateful. Pam took a very reasonable photo with her Canon Bridge. I copied it onto my memory stick .....and my laptop insists that it needs formulating, which will erase all data !!! ? When I get home.
Time for a hot drink in the cafe, from which  I scoped a second male Ptarmigan, this one further into summer plumage, only its underparts still white. I watched it going about its day for half an hour, two other birders also enjoying the views.The females are sitting on eggs by now.
On the train journey down, we saw another male Ouzel. 
Time to drive to the bottom car park via its unmade road - entrance on the right before the main parking area.The Ouzel's territory is below the car park, we had to get out to view the male collecting nesting material down below, near a green container. Meanwhile, Pam found the female, beak crammed with nesting material, entering the nest area, it looked like a hole in the heather bank.Top right, on the right.

We both took photos of the male - I was not happy with mine, the majority were binned. I so wanted some good shots of this lovely bird, a favourite of mine. The angle, my handshake -as I was having difficulty standing still to-day - and, the distance, didn't help. This is the least bad.

The whole area was covered in mounds of bright yellow Coltsfoot.
What to do now? We'd allocated the whole day to these two birds. Black Isle, across the Kessock Bridge at Inverness and then a right turn,  was the winner. The tide was well out when we scoped Udale Bay, 40 Pink-footed Geese, 5 Wigeon, many Shelduck, a pair of Eider, 1 Curlew and a large flock of gulls the result.
As we approached the A9 on the return journey, a Red Kite flew overhead.
We needed to shop at the hypermarket on the Aberdeen Road - via Alturlie. Even fewer birds to-day, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and no waders at all.
Maybe Loch Flemington would surprise us.  Mute Swans and two padders, Moorhen and Little Grebes.
Home was a welcome sight. The moth trap is fired up again. Here are some photographs of a few of the moths caught during the last two nights. 

Brindled Beauty

Early Tooth-stripe

Red Swordgrass, side view - a local speciality

Red Swordgrass, top view.
 It's cloudier to-night, there may be a bigger catch. The last two nights have been cold after very warm days - up to 20C in the Highlands to-day, the warmest place in the UK.

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