Back to Regular Haunts; Sunday 5th June 2022

Re-installed in our regular and cosy little cottage for the next fortnight we were determined to take it easy for at least the first day. Usually we'd put the boots on and take a walk up into the woods behind the cottage but couldn't summon the energy required so opted instead to drive around Lochindorb and gain an almost guaranteed year tick. Lochindorb is the site of a pair of one of the UK's rarest breeding birds although seeing them usually requires a telescope and views are generally poor. The pair of Black-throated Divers can be found anywhere around the huge shallow Loch but can be difficult to locate if it is windy. On this fine Sunday morning there would be no such problems created by waves and it took me no more than a few minutes to find the pair of birds on the far side of the water. I knew from experience that the birds tend to move furthest from the roadside once traffic and people start trundling around the Loch. If we wanted a better view then we'd have to come back either very early in the morning or after the day-trippers had gone home. For now though, the year tick would suffice.

We drove along the road that runs along the Loch-side. Normally we'd carry on to the roads end and turn towards Grantown-on-Spey but the road is currently closed owing to a bridge collapsing earlier this year so there is now no option other than to turn around and return whence we came. We stopped to introduce ourselves to Alan Davies of "Big Twitch" fame, who was leading a tour group. As we chatted an Osprey appeared above the ridge but it showed no interest in fishing. I always watch the ridge closely since a few years back a Golden Eagle emerged from behind and then flew right over our heads. Unfortunately it was one of those rare occasions when I'd forgotten to take the camera of the boot of the car. As well as the Black-throated Divers, Lochindorb hosts other breeding birds and we soon found a small but plucky Common Sandpiper at the edge of the water. Common Sandpipers defend their breeding territory against all comers, including people in cars, and choose rocks and other lofty perches from which to deliver a scolding defence of any perceived threat. When we see these wading birds in Oxfordshire, usually at Farmoor, they are always extremely wary and will fly off as soon as you clap eyes on them. Here on their breeding grounds they become very confiding and offer up superb views and photo opportunities.

Another bird that you are sure to find on the shores of Lochindorb is the Oystercatcher and we found one which was preening while managing to glower at anybody looking its way. Oystercatchers are peculiar birds and I often think they are actually a little bit deranged. They have a habit of nesting in seemingly ridiculous places, like on the ornamental stones of a grave or in the middle of a roundabout but still have the pugnacity to raise their young in such places. Everybody recognises the long carrot-orange bill which a snowman would be proud of, and the accompanying deep red eyes and legs. They also make a racket with their loud piping calls. This bird that we watched from inside the car just stared angrily back as if to say, "I'm having a nap" and promptly did just that.

On the drive back away from Lochindorb we saw Red Grouse, Lapwing, Stonechat, and Cuckoo, all birds that you can expect to see in the area. Also in keeping with our normal routine of the first Sunday of our holiday in the area, we then took an excellent lunch at The Garth in Grantown, a place we've been visiting for twenty-five years. It's still as good as it ever was too.

Lochindorb is rightly proud of its Black-throated Divers and there is much signage and information on display around the Loch warning visitors of the risk of disturbance to the birds which are protected by law and should be left well alone. Many of the areas birds are rare breeding species in UK terms and all of them are protected by the same laws. One of these, the Slavonian Grebe was given some, rather far too much in my opinion, detailed coverage on the BBC Springwatch programme. We have been visiting the site where they were filmed for over twenty years, and until recently had rarely seen any other birders at the site. Unfortunately the TV programme gave far too many clues out as to the whereabouts the birds and increased disturbance ensued resulting in added restrictions. However, a major footpath runs through the site and close to the shore of the small lochan (which will remain unnamed here) where the birds breed, so that anybody is able to walk there. We chose to have a look there in the evening when I knew the sun wouldn't present a problem when trying to photograph the birds.

Things have changed there. Along the footpath there are many signs warning against disturbing the birds and imploring that the public stay to the path and don't walk down to the shore. Not that we would anyway. For the first half hour we couldn't find any Grebes anyway except for some Little Grebes that also breed on the lochan. On the walk back to the car, which as usual I had parked on the small approach road, I did spot a Slavonian grebe but it proved to be very difficult to observe. I did eventually manage to grab a couple of shots by secreting myself partially behind a conifer tree but not of the type I was hoping for.

Then the fun started. As we neared the car, a chap engaged me. I was half expecting him to because I'd seen him before and knew that he lived nearby and also knew that he is a self-pronounced guardian of the Grebes. In fact a friend of mine had stayed in one of the holiday cottages bordering the lochan recently and had warned me that this chap would be on the prowl. Not that he was unfriendly or anything but he did begin by telling me in no uncertain terms that if we didn't leave the area then he would call the police! I explained that I'd been visiting the lochan for many years and knew of the Grebes and of the laws and had always stayed on the path. After a while of him telling me that the police had many powers, including the ability to confiscate my camera equipment, I did manage to placate him a bit and we had a long chat about the welfare of the birds and he told me how the Grebes are being continually disturbed by other visiting birders. I guess that even though we meant no harm to the birds, unfortunately many others do, even if inadvertently, and because of that birders en masse were no longer welcome at the site. This was a great shame to me because I'd always enjoyed visiting the lochan and watching the Slavonian Grebes. Apparently parking on the entry road was my biggest mistake, even though I'd always parked there, and I was told in no uncertain never to park there again. We took that warning a step further and Mrs Caley and I vowed there and then that we wouldn't go there ever again and would get our Slavonian Grebe fix at another site further north in future. We know where we're not wanted. If you are visiting the area and know of the site, be warned, it isn't as easy going as it was.

Tomorrow we would head north to the Brora area in the hope of twitching a spectacular and major rarity!

Year List addition;

231) Black-throated Diver

A Ring-billed Surprise Picnic! Loch Turret, Saturday 4th June 2022

We like to stop over for a coffee and lunch at the RSPB reserve at Loch Leven. We rarely actually do any birding there, apart from checking the feeders for Tree Sparrows which are always good to see. We do stare out of the picture window across the Loch of course, who couldn't resist that view. On one visit in the winter we spied a White-tailed Eagle dispatching a Goose while stood on the frozen surface. Today though it was a lovely day, the sun was shining and we both felt good and excited about the forthcoming fortnight in the Cairngorms and Speyside.

We were about to leave after stocking up with bird food for the holiday, there will be so many birds to encourage into the garden of the holiday cottage, when Mrs Caley casually announced that a Ring-billed Gull had been seen near Crieff. My jaw dropped a little since I have a full grasp of where places are in Scotland and knew that we were only around thirty miles away. A no-brainer then, we were detouring away from our intended route within seconds. The bird had been seen at Loch Turret, a place we'd never been before. Loch Turret sits at the head of Glen Turret through which a stream flows and feeds the Glen Turret distillery which is the main producer of whisky that makes up The Famous Grouse brand. We frequently visit The Famous Grouse Experience because, besides whisky, there is fine coffee and cake to be had there and there are Dippers on the adjacent fast flowing stream.

The Loch itself is about five miles above the town of Crieff and the long narrow road winds its way through some prime looking moorland. The road ends at a carpark about a hundred metres away from the huge dam that holds the reservoir water at bay. The Ring-billed Gull had been reported as being on the dam itself so we were hopeful of a quick tick. We had only seen two Ring-billed Gulls before, a fine adult bird on Dunster beach in Somerset, in pre-camera days, and a first-winter bird at the Hayle Estuary on a miserable wet day when photography was impossible. We walked onto the dam causeway and spotted a couple of birders looking intently at the Valve Tower halfway along. There were several Gulls stood on the dam wall and on the tower but a quick survey proved them all to be the similar looking Common Gulls. One of the Common Gulls had us fooled for a few moments owing to it sporting a faint ring around the bill but as much as I willed it to be the target bird, it wasn't. We had to find the real Ring-billed Gull. I asked the other couple if they had seen the rarer bird but the reply was negative. Yet again it seemed, we wouldn't be getting the easy tick that we wanted.

Common Gulls

For the next hour I scrutinised every Gull that was in the area and every candidate proved to be yet another Common Gull. Usually I'd be delighted to see Common Gulls, in our area they are far from common, and they are one of the most beautiful of our Gull species but, with a "better" Gull to see, I was rapidly getting sick of them. There were also some cute looking Common Gull chicks on the concrete apron to the Loch, superbly camouflaged and well protected by their parents who wheeled around us and made quite a racket whenever we stood too closely on the path above the chicks.

An Osprey sailed along the ridge to our right into view approaching from the direction of Crieff, presumably visiting the Loch for some fishing. It was followed by another. The second Osprey flew almost overhead. I tracked it as it soared over the Loch until it disappeared around the eastern flank of hills. The Ospreys were our first of the year although I was pretty confident we'd see lots more once in the Highlands.

Osprey

My eye was drawn to a Gull that was flying low to the water and directly towards us. It was slightly bigger than the Common Gulls, more impressively built with a longer neck and larger head. I was originally thinking that it was probably a Herring Gull, up to that point we'd only seen Common and Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Loch. As it came nearer though I was aware of a very bright yellow bill which crucially appeared to have a broad black band around it. I aimed the camera and took a couple of shots just as the Gull flew almost straight up towards the Osprey. The shots were blurred and unidentifiable! Luckily however, the bird which had flown over our heads and disappeared over the trees down the Glen, was now flying back again. I knew that because the two birders that'd left a few minutes before were waving their arms in the air and pointing upwards while shouting, 'It's there!' The Gull flew fairly low past us, dropped toward the surface of the Loch, did a circuit of the valve tower and disappeared! I managed a couple more shots and they revealed that my suspicions were correct, we had our Ring-billed Gull. Despite viewing the tower from every available angle we couldn't find the Ring-billed Gull and not for the first time I wondered if birds possess the ability to teleport.

Ring-billed Gull

We'd seen the Ring-billed Gull but with only those brief views, and since we were in no hurry to leave since we knew our holiday cottage well, having stayed there several times before so had plenty of time, we retreated to the car, ate our sandwiches, and then returned to the Loch. And I'm so glad we did although to begin with it was, "How you were" with lots of Common Gulls and no sign of the Ring-billed. We studied every bird both near to the dam, and further out on the Loch. I had brought the scope back so that I could scan through the Lesser Black-backed Gull flock that were bathing and hanging about by an outfall but there was no sign of the Ring-billed Gull, and there still wasn't for over an hour since we'd seen it. The position of almost every Gull on the Loch was imprinted on my mind so when I saw a Gull swimming towards us about a hundred metres out, I just knew that I had to check it because it wasn't there before. I don't know how it did it, maybe it teleported back, but it was the Ring-billed Gull and this time I had ample time to check the features, helped by the fact that it was quickly closing in on the dam. Whereas the Common Gulls are kind looking birds with friendly looking faces, the Ring-billed Gull is a fierce looking bird, with glaring eyes set into a face that appears to be frowning, scowling even. The bill is more substantial with a clear black band near to the tip (the ring-bill). Ring-billed Gull is slightly larger than Common Gull giving it a much more impressive looking structure and the legs are bright yellow as opposed to the grey-green legs of the Common Gulls. The Ring-billed Gull also has a much smaller "white mirror" at the tip of the wing.

The Ring-billed Gull took off from the water, allowing me to get a few flight shots as it passed. It flew into a small fenced compound around a pumping station at the carpark and emerged carrying a piece of bread, presumably leftover from someone's picnic. The Gull flew down to the end of a concrete jetty and dipped the bread in the water to soften it before gulping it down. After a quick dip in the water the Gull then walked up the jetty and stood, rather menacingly I thought, looking around. You wouldn't win a staring contest with an adult Ring-billed Gull!

I thought that the Gull would return to its picnic site for more sustenance so positioned Mrs Caley and myself next to the small compound. It wasn't long before the Ring-billed Gull followed us, again affording some excellent flight views. It didn't go straight to the grassy compound but flew around a couple of times, at one point, I feared it may depart.

The Gull was obviously still hungry though and its flight was just to deter a juvenile Herring Gull that was also eyeing up its takeaway. The Ring-billed, while clearly smaller, easily ousted the other Gull which fled to bathe in the stream mouth with the other larger Gulls. The Ring-billed Gull then landed and stood on top of a concrete post. At such close quarters we could see what a truly beautiful bird the Ring-billed Gull was, its under parts gleaming pure white in the bright sunshine, with bright colour added by the bill, eyes, legs and feet. However, that menacing look was still very eminent.

After a few moments of repose the Gull dropped back into the compound to resume its afternoon tea. More flight shots gained I moved slightly so that I could see the Gull on the ground. Instead of landing directly on the food the Gull pranced around for a while first, I'm guessing that birds always like to make sure there are no nasty surprises and that the coast is clear.

Then after walking right up to the fence, the Ring-billed Gull emerged with its food, a half eaten bread roll, cheese filled I think, and flew strongly straight towards us.

This was "fill your boots time" for me as the Gull got so close I couldn't get the whole bird in the frame. Even the BirdGuides judges liked the header shot as it earned me a Notable Photo in their weekly contest and such accolades don't come around very often for me these days.

The Gull repeated its earlier behaviour by flying back to the end of the concrete jetty and dipping its bounty before swallowing it whole. Unfortunately it did that while facing away from us so we missed it but I was able to photograph it when it had a more prolonged dip and wash up afterwards.

We left when the Ring-billed Gull returned to the middle reaches of the Loch to digest its meal and rest. We paused to look at a Whinchat that straddled a power line by the carpark before setting off on the rest of our journey to Speyside.

Year List additions;

229) Osprey, 230) Ring-billed Gull

More Owling Around; 3rd June 2022

On our last full day in Northumberland, the weather forecasters promised strong winds and rain later in the day, and we weren't sure where to go or what to do. Nothing new of note had been reported so we decided that while the sun was shining and the wind was just a moderate breeze that we'd leave the cottage early and head back and see if we could see the Barn Owl that we'd found a few days ago. 

There was no sign of the Owl as we drove into the farm track and we wondered if we'd been too late in getting out again. Not that it mattered because we'd had such brilliant views of it the first time around. We drove back towards the road thinking we'd go and get some breakfast somewhere. Mrs Caley suddenly shouted, 'Stop!' and 'Back, there by the side of the road'. I reversed a short way and there to the right of us was the Barn Owl perched up in one of the trees. It was the male bird again, and was obviously using the vantage point to study the long grassy verge that lined the road. Or it could have been interested in the antics of a Hare that was legging it up the road towards us which didn't turn and scarper into the adjacent field until it had almost reached the car.

The Barn Owl had left its perch in the tree and was flying towards us so I hopped it out of the car and stood ready and primed to fire off more shots with my camera. Another few hundred more images of such a fabulous bird wouldn't hurt would it? The Owl knew we there of course, but didn't seem to care and just flew past, performing one mid-air stop as it did so when it looked straight down the barrel of my lens.

For the next hour and half we watched the Barn Owl much as we had a few days before. The Owl was very prolific in catching voles, we saw it snare at least eight, all carried back to the nest in a dead tree as before. I took lots of photos and present just a few here. This Barn Owl wasn't at all bothered by our presence at at times would stand on fence posts just twenty metres away.

It was the flight shots that occupied me for way over an hour again, with the Barn Owl treating us to such close flypasts it was impossible to resist taking more photos.

On this occasion the Owl tended to hunt in a field that was further away, particularly so when it had been successful in catching a rodent. From there it would fly back to its nest at greater distance from us than when it had been flying up and down the roadside earlier. It's flight path also took it on a route that was against the light (not that I ever use that as an excuse to mask my poor photography skills). I wanted to catch a few images of it carrying its prey so positioned myself nearer the nest tree, still a hundred metres or so away, but stayed in my car so as not to disturb the bird at all. The delivery of food to the hungry chicks is vital and far more important than my photos.

We had a chat with the local farmer who understandably was interested in what we were doing. He told us how he was really keen to promote wildlife on his farm and how he enjoyed seeing the Owls himself as he went about his work. As we were talking I could hear a Yellowhammer singing away close by but couldn't locate it. After the farmer had left us, the Yammer was still audible and I was surprised to see it singing its plaintive song whilst stood on the ground, usually they sit high in a bush to sing.