I'll deal with the last part of the Scottish part of the trip first. This part of the trip featured five from the England / Wales section and Russ Lamb and Maria Dam who 'swapped' with Norm and June Harris. the trip began and ended in Aberdeen and took in both selected Highland sites, all relatively close to the Cairngorm areas plus a wonderful few days in the outer Hebrides; specifically the Uists.
We were under the calm and patient tutelage of John Poyner, owner and operator of Highland Nature. John, originally an Englishman, is a born again Scot and his love for Scotland and its wildlife and wild places is obvious. His reserved character and confidence, based on an excellent knowledge of the birds and wildlife, made him an excellent choice for guide. His driving skills and navigation, particularly on the maze of roads in the Hebrides, were also admired. John's choice of hotels, and the wonderful food therein, were greatly appreciated. Thanks too, to the staff and management of the Grant Arms Hotel and, in particular, the Bird and Wildlife club based there.
The birds. It was voted the Bird of the Trip was Ptarmigan. [with Black Grouse and King Eider coming equal second although a long way back].
Ptarmigan is a classic highland species - only viewable in the high hills of Scotland in the context of the British Isles. It is a bird that you have to make some effort to see. We were lucky; climbiing the hills under rare sunshine and the birds were lower on the slopes than usual and allowed long, close views.
The list of 'Birds of the Day' provide an indication how successful we were to get a range of species and many Scottish specials;
1. King Eider
2. Black Grouse
3. Ptarmigan
4. Red-breasted Merganser
5. White-tailed Eagle
6. Corn Crake
7. Hen Harrier
8. Corn Bunting!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9. Short eared Owl
We also saw Puffin, Black and Common Guillemots, Razorbills, Manx Shearwaters, Leaches Storm-Petrel, waders intheir breeding finery; Ruff, Dunlin, Redshanks, Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Snipe, Sanderling. We had views of White-tailed Eagle - the result of a fascinating and successful conservation story - and amazing views of Golden Eagles [although not that amazing toknock Corn Bunting off its 'Bird of the Day' perch]. Black, Willow or Red Grouse plus Ptarmigan. Common Eiders plus Elvis the King Eider. Loons? Three - Black-throated [or Arctic], Red-throated and Great Northern [or Common]. Plus more things I cannot think of at the moment but the full list will be printed below. Plus we saw and heard about a million chaffinches!
Regarding mammals - Otter, Red Squirrel, Red Deer, plus Common Dolphins, Pilot Whales and Harbour Porpoise - again to name a few.
For the England Wales part of the trip we muddled through basically by ourselves however we were aided by the good folk at Two Owls Birding who operate out of Dorset and Marcus Nash who operates out of Norfolk. We were also helped by Swallow Birding who gave great suggestions for our itinerary.
Birds of the day recorded for the England Wales section included Tufted Duck, Dunlin, Yellowhammer, Wood Warbler, Woodcock, Buzzard, Great Bustard and Puffin.
Here is the List of Bird Species recorded for our UK Trip
UK BIRD LIST – recorded species
1. Mute Swan - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
2. Whooper Swan – ABERDEEN AND OUTER HEBRIDES
3. Greylag Goose – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK], SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
4. Canada Goose – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
5. Barnacle Goose - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
6. Common Eider – SCOTTISH COASTS
7. King Eider - ABERDEEN
8. Common Goldeneye - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
9. Red-breasted Merganser – SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
10. Egyptian Goose I - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
11. Common Shelduck - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
12. Red-crested Pochard - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
13. Common Pochard – SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
14. Tufted Duck - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
15. Northern Shoveler – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK], SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
16. Gadwall - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
17. Eurasian Wigeon – SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
18. Mallard - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
19. Common Teal – SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
20. Mandarin Duck I – WALES and SOUTHERN ENGLAND
21. Red-legged Partridge I - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
22. Common Pheasant I - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
23. Willow Grouse - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
24. Rock Ptarmigan - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
25. Eurasian Black Grouse - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
26. Grey Partridge – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
27. Little Grebe - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
28. Great Crested Grebe – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
29. Slavonian Grebe - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
30. Rock Dove - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
31. Stock Dove – SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
32. Wood Pigeon – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
33. Eurasian Collared Dove - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
34. European Nightjar - SOUTHERN ENGLAND
35. Common Swift - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
36. Common Cuckoo - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
37. Corncrake - OUTER HEBRIDES
38. Common Moorhen - WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
39. Common Coot - WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
40. Common Crane - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
41. Red-throated Diver – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK], OUTER HEBRIDES and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
42. Black-throated Diver - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
43. Great Northern Diver - OUTER HEBRIDES
44. Leach’s Storm-Petrel - OUTER HEBRIDES
45. Northern Fulmar – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and OUTER HEBRIDES
46. Manx Shearwater - WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and OUTER HEBRIDES
47. Eurasian Bittern – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
48. Little Bittern – heard NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
49. Grey Heron - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
50. Little Egret – SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
51. Northern Gannet - WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and OUTER HEBRIDES
52. European Shag - WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and OUTER HEBRIDES
53. Great Cormorant - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
54. Eurasian Thick-knee - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
55. Eurasian Oystercatcher - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
56. Pied Avocet - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
57. Eurasian Golden Plover – SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
58. Eurasian Dotterel - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
59. Common Ringed Plover – SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK], SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
60. Little Ringed Plover - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
61. Northern Lapwing - SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK], SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
62. Whimbrel - WALES
63. Eurasian Curlew - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
64. Bar-tailed Godwit - OUTER HEBRIDES
65. Black-tailed Godwit – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
66. Ruddy Turnstone - SOUTHERN ENGLAND
67. Ruff - OUTER HEBRIDES
68. Sanderling – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
69. Dunlin – SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
70. Eurasian Woodcock – SOUTHERN ENGLAND and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
71. Common Snipe - OUTER HEBRIDES
72. Common Sandpiper - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
73. Common Greenshank - OUTER HEBRIDES
74. Common Redshank – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK], SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
75. Red-necked Phalarope - OUTER HEBRIDES
76. Atlantic Puffin – WALES and OUTER HEBRIDES
77. Black Guillemot - OUTER HEBRIDES
78. Razorbill - WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
79. Common Guillemot - WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
80. Great Skua - OUTER HEBRIDES
81. Black-legged Kittiwake - WALES and OUTER HEBRIDES
82. Black-headed Gull - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
83. Mew Gull – SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
84. Lesser Black-backed Gull - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
85. Herring Gull – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
86. Little Gull – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
87. Mediterranean Gull - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
88. Great Black-backed Gull - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
89. Little Tern – SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
90. Common Tern – SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
91. Arctic Tern - OUTER HEBRIDES
92. Sandwich Tern – SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
93. Osprey - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
94. Golden Eagle - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
95. Western Marsh Harrier - SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
96. Hen Harrier - OUTER HEBRIDES
97. Eurasian Sparrowhawk – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
98. White-tailed Sea Eagle - OUTER HEBRIDES
99. Red Kite – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
100. Eurasian Buzzard - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
101. Short-eared Owl – SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
102. Little Owl - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
103. Green Woodpecker – WALES and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
104. Great Spotted Woodpecker – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
105. Common Kestrel - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
106. Eurasian Hobby – SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
107. Peregrine Falcon – WALES and SOUTHERN ENGLAND
108. Rose-ringed Parakeet I – London pre-trip
109. Red-billed Chough - WALES
110. Eurasian Jay - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
111. Eurasian Magpie - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
112. Eurasian Jackdaw - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
113. Rook - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
114. Common Raven – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and OUTER HEBRIDES
115. Carrion Crow – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON; except OUTER HEBRIDES
116. Hooded Crow - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS and OUTER HEBRIDES
117. Dunnock - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
118. House Sparrow - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
119. Tree Pipit – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
120. Meadow Pipit – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
121. Rock Pipit - WALES
122. Grey Wagtail – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
123. White Wagtail - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
124. Common Chaffinch - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
125. Hawfinch - SOUTHERN ENGLAND
126. Eurasian Bullfinch – SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
127. European Greenfinch - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
128. Twite - OUTER HEBRIDES
129. Common Linnet – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
130. Common Redpoll - WALES
131. European Goldfinch - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
132. Eurasian Siskin – SOUTHERN ENGLAND and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
133. Corn Bunting – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
134. Yellowhammer – WALES, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
135. Eurasian Reed Bunting – WALES, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
136. Coal Tit - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
137. Crested Tit - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
138. Marsh Tit – SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
139. Willow Tit - WALES
140. Blue Tit - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
141. Great Tit - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
142. Wood Lark - SOUTHERN ENGLAND
143. Eurasian Sky Lark – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except WALES
144. Bearded Reedling – WALES and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
145. Sedge Warbler – WALES, NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and OUTER HEBRIDES
146. Common Reed Warbler – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
147. Northern House Martin – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
148. Barn Swallow - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
149. Sand Martin – NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK] and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
150. Wood Warbler – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND
151. Willow Warbler - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
152. Common Chiffchaff - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
153. Cetti's Warbler – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
154. Long-tailed Tit - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
155. Eurasian Blackcap - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
156. Garden Warbler – heard NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
157. Lesser Whitethroat - SOUTHERN ENGLAND
158. Common Whitethroat - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
159. Dartford Warbler - NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
160. Goldcrest - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
161. Eurasian Firecrest – heard SOUTHERN ENGLAND, seen NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
162. Eurasian Treecreeper - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except OUTER HEBRIDES
163. Eurasian Nuthatch – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
164. Eurasian Wren - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
165. Common Starling - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
166. White-throated Dipper – WALES and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
167. Spotted Flycatcher – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
168. European Robin - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
169. European Pied Flycatcher - WALES
170. Common Redstart – WALES and SOUTHERN ENGLAND
171. European Stonechat – WALES, SOUTHERN ENGLAND and SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
172. Northern Wheatear – RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON except NORFOLK [AND SUFFOLK]
173. Mistle Thrush - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
174. Song Thrush - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
175. Redwing - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
176. Eurasian Blackbird - RECORDED IN EVERY MAIN AREA - OFTEN COMMON
177. Ring Ouzel - SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
Mammals seen;
1. Pilot Whale
2. Common Dolphin
3. Common Porpoise
4. Risso’s Dolphin
5. Common Seal
6. Grey Seal
7. Eurasian Otter
8. Red Fox
9. Badger
10. Red Squirrel
11. Grey Squirrel
12. Brown Rat
13. Vole sp
14. Rabbit
15. Brown Hare
16. Mountain Hare
17. Red Deer
18. Roe Deer
19. Fallow Deer
In addition a fine female Adder was seen in Minesmere.
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