ernie f wrote:On reflection I think it has to be the picture I know I will never get in my life - the two owl species on the wing at once.
Thank you Ernie! I've had some fantastic luck over the last few weeks (long may it last!) but I think I agree with you - the only once-in-a-lifetime experience was these two owls flying side-by-side.
David M wrote:now I find you can match it close to your home!!
Thanks David - if the weather brightens up as forecast this afternoon, I hope to have more to add!
5th-7th April - Speyside and homewards-bound
Since it's raining this morning and the photos from my Scottish trip seem to be going down well, I'll continue with the rest of the week!
After a late night in the Speyside Wildlife hide, we decided to have a lie-in and spend the morning at the Highland Wildlife Park - particularly keen to see the 'baby' Polar Bear, who is most certainly not a baby anymore!
![IMG_6619.jpg (1.81 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Hamish the "baby" Polar Bear](./files/thumb_15783_1f89b4be3c34c0031e4e4a03133dad11)
- Hamish the "baby" Polar Bear
Alongside the range of usual and more unusual zoo animals were a few nice wild things, especially in the large marshy drive-through enclosure where the bison are kept.
![IMG_6096.jpg (1.4 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Barnacle Geese, HWP](./files/thumb_15783_eeba134199efafc4f75c3bc4857f3149)
- Barnacle Geese, HWP
![IMG_6132.jpg (1.18 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Lapwing, HWP](./files/thumb_15783_9a4747c2293255bcd0e023d1015db747)
- Lapwing, HWP
![IMG_6164.jpg (1.36 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Rook, HWP](./files/thumb_15783_bb7d19de60a91d7b23738cabb832b308)
- Rook, HWP
![IMG_6300.jpg (1.52 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Redshank, HWP](./files/thumb_15783_63ea1d01d577b5f5be3e35cb0b36f189)
- Redshank, HWP
![IMG_6311.jpg (2.02 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Hooded Crow, HWP](./files/thumb_15783_80e565077c61a2628a3b606a90c8ab5e)
- Hooded Crow, HWP
![IMG_6695.jpg (1.06 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Oystercatcher, HWP](./files/thumb_15783_1280757620b80cb2d527fb11396ded04)
- Oystercatcher, HWP
After lunch we opted for a walk around Loch an Eilean, an attractive loch surrounded by Caledonian pine forest in the Rothiemurchus estate.
![IMG_6834.jpg (1.57 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Loch an Eilean](./files/thumb_15783_8a98b6ff84c8da5651e8e75410003b1c)
- Loch an Eilean
Lots of woodland birds around, though mostly high up in the trees and hard to spot. At the far end of the loch, we stopped to watch a Coal Tit that had approached a bit closer. As we watched, another flew past it and landed even nearer to us: I got it in my binoculars and, after a moment of shock, whispered to L - "holy **** it's a Crested Tit!". And so, at my fifth attempt to see this enchanting bird in the Abernethy area, we were finally able to watch this individual for a good 15 minutes as it approached very close and struck a few classic poses!
![IMG_6772.jpg (718.21 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Crested Tit, Loch an Eilean](./files/thumb_15783_09783567a504803b4adbf4d53173eac5)
- Crested Tit, Loch an Eilean
![IMG_6773.jpg (664.46 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Crested Tit, Loch an Eilean](./files/thumb_15783_b71ec8a958f6b1f8e7de168fe77bf76a)
- Crested Tit, Loch an Eilean
![IMG_6809.jpg (757.44 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Crested Tit, Loch an Eilean](./files/thumb_15783_c9747e2707450d4170acbca6aa31d102)
- Crested Tit, Loch an Eilean
![IMG_6822.jpg (519.62 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Crested Tit, Loch an Eilean](./files/thumb_15783_07cbfaef602f52c6582f29ef616dea55)
- Crested Tit, Loch an Eilean
For the avoidance of doubt, of all the amazing things we saw in this holiday, finally seeing a 'Crestie' was by far and away my highlight!
On the Saturday, the forecast was really grim and the idea of going for a walk anywhere quite unappealing. So we decided instead to head northwards to Fort George - a fairly impressive active military base dating back to the end of the Jacobite uprising. Although I rather liked the Romans as a schoolboy, we weren't here for historical interest, but for the fort's views over the narrowest point in the Moray Firth. The resident pod of Bottlenose Dolphins congregate here on a rising mid-tide to feast on the fish moving up-river. Not by coincidence, we arrived on a rising mid-tide, and were duly treated to a show!
![IMG_6873.jpg (1.51 MiB) Viewed 6767 times First, distant views!](./files/thumb_15783_da2e59c224609409438b317de35c02d0)
- First, distant views!
![IMG_6978.jpg (525.18 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Bottlenose Dolphin, Fort George](./files/thumb_15783_222baa6b4745fff859483cb77f2cd3b7)
- Bottlenose Dolphin, Fort George
![IMG_7202.jpg (394.7 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Bottlenose Dolphin, Fort George](./files/thumb_15783_a375275492792cd4e489d67f8ddf7a37)
- Bottlenose Dolphin, Fort George
![IMG_7233.jpg (812.86 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Bottlenose Dolphin, Fort George](./files/thumb_15783_305012395ad804b82ae1e61f37ef16a1)
- Bottlenose Dolphin, Fort George
![IMG_7262.jpg (469.64 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Bottlenose Dolphin, Fort George](./files/thumb_15783_72ef828ecff6ece53fff3f03ebde754d)
- Bottlenose Dolphin, Fort George
Besides the dolphins, other interest came from a few passing seabirds.
![IMG_6930.jpg (411.25 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Eiders, Fort George](./files/thumb_15783_af4167ccd8b0f2d1f68523d8642d6552)
- Eiders, Fort George
![IMG_7163.jpg (423.33 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Guillemot, Fort George](./files/thumb_15783_b04af5ae25fc727b711dbd5dbe3d7070)
- Guillemot, Fort George
![IMG_7184.jpg (784.74 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Common Gull, Fort George](./files/thumb_15783_22e4d2865eb92d4add99487fcc858841)
- Common Gull, Fort George
With (marginally) drier weather promised in the afternoon, we moved back inland to the RSPB reserve at Loch Ruthven - one of the only places in the UK to see breeding-plumage Slavonian Grebes. They were a little distant but unmistakeable and breath-taking!
![IMG_7297.jpg (904.45 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Slavonian Grebe, Loch Ruthven](./files/thumb_15783_c664228581422a3657eee2e60c58a53b)
- Slavonian Grebe, Loch Ruthven
![IMG_7304.jpg (385.68 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Slavonian Grebe, Loch Ruthven](./files/thumb_15783_ab80c61269bde7a3d2b99ba7a29bb2dd)
- Slavonian Grebe, Loch Ruthven
The following morning and it was time to head for home: but with one final pit-stop planned, at the Loch of the Lowes (Scottish Wildlife Trust). The long-standing Osprey nest was in use - astonishingly we saw the pair adding yet more nesting material to a structure that must already stand two metres high!
![IMG_7360.jpg (590.47 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Osprey, Loch of the Lowes](./files/thumb_15783_b23ca034a7005f0a43942f8d647c68c7)
- Osprey, Loch of the Lowes
![IMG_7367.jpg (647.57 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Osprey, Loch of the Lowes](./files/thumb_15783_f125edd2dcae44b7a1183af6d7413659)
- Osprey, Loch of the Lowes
Mirroring the start of the holiday, in the small wood surrounding the visitor centre were a range of nice woodland birds and two Red Squirrels.
![IMG_7390.jpg (487.74 KiB) Viewed 6767 times Siskin, Loch of the Lowes](./files/thumb_15783_b9008948b3472142a95d12ef105aa0be)
- Siskin, Loch of the Lowes
![IMG_7402.jpg (1.24 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Yellowhammer, Loch of the Lowes](./files/thumb_15783_32a10fec6303cde432e279c5414c3b79)
- Yellowhammer, Loch of the Lowes
![IMG_7429.jpg (2.47 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Great-spotted Woodpecker, Loch of the Lowes](./files/thumb_15783_fbf486909bea0b2baba8f332331d342b)
- Great-spotted Woodpecker, Loch of the Lowes
![IMG_7456.jpg (2.04 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Red Squirrel, Loch of the Lowes](./files/thumb_15783_e39188b680d4ccd62dab1787c36867dd)
- Red Squirrel, Loch of the Lowes
![IMG_7469.jpg (2.18 MiB) Viewed 6767 times Red Squirrel, Loch of the Lowes](./files/thumb_15783_aed38eefa24a9de2b13ae22518a66951)
- Red Squirrel, Loch of the Lowes
And so concludes my trip report! A remarkable area - highly recommended for those long butterfly-free months, and pretty good during the summer as well!