Ptarmigan

Day 8 Cairn Gorm

With the weathermen predicting wall to wall sunshine and virtually no wind, today was the day for a Ptarmigan hunt. We arrived at the car park just after 0800 and already it was becoming busy. The recent weather had deprived many of their mountain pastimes and today everyone was making up for it. Martin enquired after Ptarmigan at the ranger station and was told that none were up on the viewing station, better to walk up to the snow line on another path. So off we went, just taking it easy as there was plenty of ice on the path.

That there were lots of Red Grouse about was obvious from their constant calling, of Ptarmigan nothing, until we reached the snow. We sat on some rocks allowing the noisy and vociferous camel train of climbers to go past. Then, in the distance I saw and heard a male bird, the screwdriver call plain to hear. Birds were hard to find so we split up, Martin continued up the path, I gingerly crossed a large expanse of icy snow, heading for a ridge where we intended to meet up. As I got about 200 yards away a male called - right back where I had started out, not only that, it was yards from some climbers and Martin had his camera out. I can only say that the journey back across the ice was a darn sight quicker. I finally arrived and managed to get the camera out - six frames and the bird flew.

Martin is on a bird and I am miles away!

He's got his camera out

Made it!

 We had sightings of other birds flying around, none close. Finally, as we had crossed more ice, a pair of birds walked towards us and provided some really good, but not close views.

 

Rather than chase any more birds we sat and had lunch amidst some stunning scenery, after which we made our way gently down.

A well deserved rest amidst superb surroundings.

 



Great weather at last.


In the afternoon we made another visit to Loch Garten just in case the Cresties were playing, unfortunately I managed only a couple of shots. In the car park a familiar figure - David Gardiner, really nice to catch up with him. Not only that, we were staying in the same hotel so that evening we had a drink and dined together. Hope he got some really good photos during his stay.

Crested Tits

Day 5 Loch Garten, Boat of Garten and Lochindorb

With some sunshine forecast it was a day to visit Loch Garten for the Crested Tits. As always they were present and as always they were somewhat difficult to photograph. It never fails to amaze me how they can turn up and disappear again in the blink of an eye, leaving the photographer with partial shots, out of focus shots and just plain empty branches. Anyway this activity kept us occupied for the morning,though standing around in the bitter cold wasn't that much fun.

With a need to get warm we decided to try some other venues, especially as the winter sun was doing its best to light up the Highlands. Next stop was the small lochan in Boat of Garten, usually a pair of Whooper Swans reside here and this year is no exception. Two very obliging birds posed for us, not really bothered whether we stayed in the car or not. However the Mallards were a different proposition, scrambling up the bank towards the car and fighting for the bread that I threw.

 

Lochindorb is always a great drive, the Red Grouse come close and normally stay, even when you stop the car and wind down the windows. Pointing a lens at them results in a quizzical look and often a resounding scolding "Go back". Out on the loch were a pair of Goldeneye, not the usual divers.

 

As the light was still good we returned to Loch Garten for another go at the Cresties, just a few more shots to discard but I did manage some "usual suspects"

Crested Tits

I don't think any birder with a camera who visits Scotland can ignore the Crested Tits, along with Capercaillie and Black Grouse these are the true icons of Scottish ornithology. They are not easy to capture well, they move like greased lightning and are never in surroundings that allow any sort of shutter speed. All these shots were taken in the car park at Loch Garten, under conditions that ranged from near darkness to near sunlight.

I think they must have had a good year as we found them in numbers elsewhere in the Abernethy Forest and Anagach Woods, their buzzing call giving them away amongst hordes of Coal Tits.

 

 

Crested Tits and Capercaillie, Loch Garten

Somewhere in the Cairngorms

With nothing planned for the day I spent the first hour of the morning driving round the local area, the sightings board in the hotel had reports of Capercaillie, most of which were seen from or by the road. Half way through the hour I had twice laid rubber on the road after sighting large black birds in fields adjacent to the forest. I would really support the banning of black chickens on Scottish farms. As a result of my meanderings I passed Loch Garten again and on dropping into the car park learned that Cresties were about so I set up the gear and waited. Sure enough one turned up and I captured a few more shots.

Then all hell broke loose, two birders that turned up had come across an obliging Caper and were happy to share the location. Another birder left before me and I waited a reasonable time before departing the scene. I have to admit that my heart was pumping as I made my way to the site. In fact my brain had also gone into headless chicken mode as,  when I dumped the car at the side of the road and grabbed the camera, I forgot to change my footwear and went straight into the forest bog in trainers - who cared  - this was a Caper hunt.  Sure enough there, up a tree, was a male Capercaillie tucking into a breakfast of pine needles - definitely not stressed.  One advantage of a big lens is that you can stand off a bird and not have to get too close to get frame filling pictures, consequently I felt comfortable that I wouldn't be disturbing the bird. Eventually the bird displayed signs  of being irritated by the onlookers and left the tree. There is a code of conduct for Capercaillies and I am glad that the birders present withdrew, having captured sufficient shots to record what is a magnificent bird.