Birds The newsletter of the Highland Local Group Issue 93 March 2017

Andy(rspbHay In this issue…  Indoor reports: • National Golden Eagle Survey • Fuerteventura • Teruel:Spains Empty Quarter •

 Field trip reports: • Christmas Birding • New Year Bird Count •

- • Inverness to Nairn • images.com)

 Future trips: • Strathdearn • Glenelg & Skye •

Loch Kinelllan & Brahan • Editorial Group Leader’s Report

It always surprises me the number and quality of Spring seems to have arrived quickly this year, wildlife sightings on the field trips. Perhaps the the thrushes are already singing from the tree standout moments of field trips reported in this tops, various tits are inspecting the nest boxes, issue are the otters spotted on the north shore of snow drops are abundant, the crocuses are the Beauly Firth and the Little Egret at Kingsteps. beginning to flourish and some suspiciously loud scrabbling at night makes me think that the pine Mary Galloway’s talk on Fuerteventura brought martens are about to settle in to their nest in the back fond memories of our trips to the island. In eaves! the talk Mary covered many more birds than we had seen but I’ve picked out a few that we So far, the group has been very successful; snapped to add to the report of her talk. evening meetings have been well attended and our field trips have attracted a good number of Long-tailed tits who disappear for the summer keen bird watchers. Which all makes me wonder returned to our garden in November. The large what will be the future of the group if we can’t find group has been a treat to watch daily (see a new group leader after the 2017/18 season. I Lollipop Birds article) but now we are down to a would hate to see such a thriving group pair and hopefully they will nest in or around the threatened with closure. Apart from anything else garden. our field trips introduce new people to the area to good birdwatching sites and like-minded people. Looking back on the winter I have been amazed at the number of close up encounters we’ve had Brad Chappell has started on the new Bird with Waxwings, unlike previous years. The latest Watching Sites of the Highlands, which will be in of these was close to home and is described in the form of a phone application. l may be “Daviot Standoff”. approaching a few members to check some of the sites. The original booklet went in to three Spring is definitely in the air! Illustrated by a most editions and raised more than £10,000 for various surprising sight a few days ago of five, yes five, RSPB projects all in the Highlands. robin on our driveway, though not for long! Our donation to the RSPB this year will be used Many thanks to all who have contributed to this locally to provide a drone for use in survey work edition, in particular to Hilary Rolton, Assistant in the Highland area. This sum will be presented Editor, for all her invaluable work. to George Campbell at the evening of the office update. The deadline for submissions for the next issue will be 15th August 2017. I would be grateful for The red kites at Tollie are now providing visitors any contributions towards it, which should be with an excellent display. John and l fed them on forwarded to me at Wednesday 1st March and there were 14 kites. [email protected]. This involved two sittings; the kites were reluctant and copied to Hilary at to come down the first time and the gulls got the [email protected] most of the food, but they came in full force for Ed the second sitting and gave a terrific display. The site is popular with visitors; there can be up to 20 in any one day. Official Notification The Loch Ruthven site will be manned from AGM March onwards; several group members are involved in volunteering at this site. RSPB Highland Local Group Our AGM will be in April, and l hope that you will all give some thought to joining the committee. Thursday 27 April 2017 – 19.30 We would also be grateful for any suggestions for field trips and speakers for indoor meetings. Greyfriars Free Church of Thanks to Margaret, Jane and Beth for making the teas each month, and to Jane for setting up Balloan Road, Inverness and clearing away the chairs. Doreen Manson Minutes of last years AGM enclosed Field Trips April - May 2017 We were lucky the murmuration could be viewed from the second hide. Here there were six other Please note that the starting time for people and a group of 4 noisy Spanish bird Saturday trips is 9.30am at the Highland watchers who had scared off all the ducks Council car park, Inverness and for Thursday normally to be seen in front of the hide. This trips is 9.30am at Inverness Retail Park, wasn’t too bad as the ducks which had moved further off soon retreated to the reeds for the opposite Burger King. night. We were entertained for a while by a flock

of lapwing swirling around looking for a likely spot The trip on Saturday 1st April, led by Keith and to spend the night. Two mute swans appeared Rosie Barnes, will be visiting Strathdearn, in the and paraded by, accompanied by the noise of hope of finding several raptor species, and Loch four huge cameras taking hundreds of footage. Ruthven for Slavonian Grebes.

Contact: Keith on 01997 421193 It was a lovely evening and the sun, low in the sky

made a splendid back drop for the incoming On Saturday 29th April Doreen and John Manson starlings. We waited------John spotted a small will lead a trip to Glenelg and Skye. group of birds, then another then we all began to Contact: Doreen on 01997 433283 spot groups, suddenly the sky was filled with

birds, a large group came in from the other side The final trip of this season will be a spring chattering noisily. What a spectacle and where migrant walk at Loch Kinellan and Brahan on had they all come from? One of the miracles of Thursday 18th May led by Keith and Rosie nature l guess. Soon even the Spaniards and Barnes. There will be a 2nd pick up for this trip at their cameras went silent and we all just sat back the square in Strathpeffer at 10.00am. and enjoyed the show. Contact: Keith on 01997 421193.

Keith Barnes

Caerlaverock and Mersehead

Recently John and l went to Dumfries. Allegedly we were there to visit our son Andrew; a day was spent at Caerlaverock and we were a little longer at Mersehead than planned!

The WWT reserve at Caerlaverock is well worth a visit. Hundreds of whooper swans migrate from their breeding grounds in Iceland. There were thousands of barnacle geese coming and going, hundreds of teal, including one green-winged teal with its diagnostic white vertical stripe, two little egret, hen harrier and of course plenty of All too soon it was over and the birds dropped like wigeon. Waders seen were large numbers of stones into the reeds. I started to feel a bit guilty curlew, lapwing, knot, bar-tailed godwit, as we were only supposed to be out for an hour redshank, dunlin and golden plover. A great or so! We raced back to Dumfries, rushed into place to spend a day. the house, but the family were sitting quite unconcerned having guessed what we would be We nearly didn’t go to Mersehead, but in the end doing! we couldn’t resist a quick visit; lots to see here too! When we arrived the volunteer for that day I have always wanted to see a murmuration, now told us that there had been a murmuration of l have------l just want to go and see starling around for a few weeks. Well that was another one! something that l had always wanted to see, and Doreen Manson apparently there were 40,000 plus birds. We had to wait for about two and a half hours but it would be well worth it. Meanwhile, we visited the first hide on the reserve and here there were a large number of pintail and a big group of shoveler and most of the birds we had seen at Caerlaverock. Lollipop Birds - another special bird the one suet feeder so some had to suffice with the peanut in the feeder nearby. As I sat down to compose this article I glanced out of the window and what should I see but the very birds I had been thinking about - long-tailed tits! There were 11 on the peanut feeder! As always these delightful little birds made me smile.

With long-tailed tits it’s not just their endearing appearance: pink, buff and black balls of fluff, with that tiny bill and impossibly long tail, giving them The photograph shows the “overspill” on the the appearance of lollipops on sticks, but also peanut holder though the birds are difficult to their sociable habits that make them so special. photograph as they are constantly on the move. Youngsters from a previous brood will often help The flock of 12 stayed some time and as dusk their parents raise the next one. You simply gathered it was soon obvious that they would be never see a lone long-tailed tit; one is always the last birds to go to roost that afternoon. These followed by another and another. Furthermore birds are likely to have been related and will form when you realise as nature writer Dominic a strong bond during the winter months ahead. Couzens puts it, the long-tailed tit is the only They roost communally and will often form a line small bird that spends Christmas with its family, on a branch with feathers huffed up and pressed then their status at the top of the hierarchy of close together to add warmth. cuteness is confirmed! One of the most remarkable aspects about the They have become adept in recent years to long-tailed tit is the nests they build. It is domed feeding from garden feeders. This behavioural and oval and the outer part is a mixture of lichens change may well be a contributing factor in and mosses, a perfect camouflage in the middle enabling them to buck the trend of the declining of a shrub or hedge. Inside the nest is even more numbers of some of our song birds. As a bonus it surprising as the inner lining, to hold the six to also enables us to view their antics up close. eight eggs, is built up with around 2,600 small Recent mild winters will also have helped their feathers. The birds are able to regulate the numbers which have almost doubled since the temperature of the inner part of the nest, so 1980’s. essential for brooding eggs and chicks, by judging the number of feathers which they add or discard. The poet John Clare loved them too calling them “bumbarrels” (after their barrel shaped nest), as in The breeding season holds another appealing these lines in his sonnet Emmonsail’s Heath in trait as if, for any reason, a pair of birds lose their Winter: nest and/or eggs they do not give up for that season. Instead they join in with other pairs that And coy bumbarrels twenty in a drove have been more successful. They will not only Flit down the hedgerow in the frozen plain help in building a nest but also in feeding the And hang on little twigs and start again offspring from another pair. This leads to a great bond between long-tailed tit all the year round. I recently came across an article in the Large flocks of long-tailed tits can be seen in Strathnairn News by Ray Collier also expressing winter and their constant call notes are contact his fascination for long-tailed tits and with his kind calls to keep the birds together. The large flock permission I have reproduced it below. means that once a food source is found then all Liz Shannon the birds benefit. Large numbers of birds also mean more eyes to keep open for any predators WILDLIFE IN THE STRATH such as a sparrowhawk.

There is something fascinating about long-tailed There is evidence that part of the long-tailed tits tits, perhaps because of the tiny body contrasting breeding success in recent years is in the with the ridiculously long tail. For example the numbers of people feeding garden birds. At one length of the bird is 14 cm of which the tail is 9 time these birds were entirely insectivorous but cm. The weight of the bird is only 8 grams and to then there seemed to be subtle change, put this into scale a two pence coin weighs 7 especially in the winter months. Whether they grams. Last week I was watching a flock of 12 found insects on peanut feeders or the suet balls long-tailed tits in the garden and they favoured is uncertain but now they are attracted to both the round suet balls in their special feeder. I say peanuts and suet balls. favoured as there was no way 12 could get on to Ray Collier The 2015 National Golden Eagle Survey persecution has given way to a rise in numbers. (with a bit of Slavonian grebes thrown in) Scotland’s eagles are found in upland areas but Thursday 15th December in Denmark there are 3 or 4 pairs nesting in trees and hunting at sea level so maybe in the future Our speaker was Stuart Benn, Communications we will see eagles in the lowlands here. and Conservation Project Officer for Public affairs, from the RSPB Highland Office. After the tea break Stuart talked about another favourite bird, the Slavonian grebe. They were For the first half of the evening Stuart spoke first recorded breeding in 1908 and for the last 45 about surveying golden eagles and the data years the birds have been counted. He illustrated collected over the last 40 years. The survey his talk with graphs showing the fluctuations in showed an increase in numbers of breeding pairs numbers which showed a big decline in the 90’s from 300 in 1960 to 508 found in 2015, with all but numbers rising and falling since. the nests being in Scotland. Each year observations begin in early December, when the Lots of research has been carried out to find birds start to display, and continues until early reasons for the decline, for example possible spring. The best way to see them is to look up at otter, mink or stoat predation or flooding of nests the sky rather than against the mountainside. due to waves but no conclusion has been reached. As the birds only spend a few months here in order to breed, the next step is to look at where they spend the winter. Prior to 2001 only 19 birds had been ringed and only 2 caught again, namely one in Scotland and another found dead in the Bay of Naples. Colour rings have been fitted to birds caught at Loch Ashie when the birds moult. Of the 37 ringed during the 5 year study, 21 were re-sighted with 20 in Scotland and one in Iceland. Researchers in Iceland and Norway also have many years of data indicating that the population is rising in Iceland but declining in Norway. There may be large scale changes between the three populations which

may have nothing to do with conditions in Stuart illustrated his talk with lovely images of Scotland. Some birds may prefer to go to Iceland places where eagles are to be found and a variety in a particular year giving the fluctuations in of nest sites, usually on a lower crag below where number. Geolocators are being fitted to try to find the snow still lies in spring. There was one nest out where the birds are wintering. In Iceland in a Scots pine tree and, in Montana, an amazing some birds have used small artificial floating 7 metre tall cliff nest which has been used for 600 nests which the RSPB may try next year. years. As the best way to observe the birds is to sit and wait for several hours there were also pictures of Stuart’s very bored dogs.

The chicks are hatched in early May and within 10 weeks are fully grown. Twins are not uncommon and to Stuart’s delight exceedingly rare triplets were found and ringed. There are probably more golden eagles nesting now in Scotland than for the last 300-400 years. Most upland areas are doing well apart from where there are lots of grouse moors. Satellite tagging has shown that young birds visit these areas attracted by the red grouse as a potential food Thank you to Stuart for a very interesting and source and no competition from adult birds for informative presentation which was enjoyed by all territories. Ten years ago there were no birds present. nesting in the Northern Monadhliaths and Rosie Barnes surrounding areas but as keepers become more tolerant some territories have been established and it has been shown that it is possible to have driven grouse shooting and golden eagles. Less Christmas Birding and Lunch New Year Bird Count 17th December 2017 Tuesday 3rd January

23 group members assembled for our annual Thirteen group members participated in this Christmas birding trip; the weather was lovely and year's event. Overall the weather was fairly mild we took our usual route for the morning. and a mid afternoon high tide was beneficial, particularly at Udale Bay, coinciding with the best Rosemarkie was a good starting point, as more light of the day. than usual was spotted on the water, including a group of Brent geese and a single female The total number of species seen was 90, nine common scoter. less than the previous year. There were some noticeable misses including sparrowhawk, kestrel, all the auks and song thrush. However, on the plus side, a new bird was added to the running list; Allie, Sam and Robert recorded hawfinch at Grantown- on- Spey.

Several of the group wandered through the trees in search of woodland birds, but it proved quieter than usual apart from a treecreeper and the usual tits.

As it was such a good day we travelled to via Mount Eagle, where few birds were found but we were rewarded by the beautiful This brings the list total to 143 species. views. In Cromarty we stopped by the hotel and walked along the sea front to be picked up at the This year's winners were Keith and Rosie Barnes other end. As usual long-tailed duck and red- with 67 species, closely followed by Doreen and breasted merganser were spotted and a small John Manson with 66. Overall, this was again a flock of ringed plover flew back and forth. We 'fun' days birding. pulled into a car park on the Jemimaville road to David Galloway look at the large flock of scaup in the Firth.

The coach dropped us at Newhall Point and we strolled along to the church. This is always a Indoor Meeting - Fuerteventura productive walk; the tree sparrows were in their Thursday 26th January 2017 usual bushes, a pair of blackcap were spotted and a large number of waders searched the mud Mary Galloway, a long-time member and former for food. Our final port of call was Udale Bay with leader of the group gave a video presentation of plenty to be seen here, but the American wigeon the island of Fuerteventura. was conspicuous by its absence! The movie was a compilation from a few visits It was now time to return to the Golf Club for our over several years. Mary started with an lunch; with thanks to Davy for his excellent driving introduction to the island which is the oldest of the we all disembarked. The lunch was excellent. To Canaries formed from volcanoes about 20 million round off the day the winner of the sweepstake, years ago. The name Fuerteventura translates as Judith Wallace, was presented with her cash “Island of the strong winds”. (£12.50). It had been a good day; new birds were spotted at all our stopping places and a total of 66 Many wild areas are protected and quite barren species were seen. What l want to know is where but finding birds is not easy. In these areas we have all the waxwings gone! were shown some excellent footage of cream- Doreen Manson coloured courser preening, linnets and short- toed larks feeding on fallen seeds and stone curlew moving slowly between the stones. Halfway down the east coast at Caleta de Fuste spectacled warbler nearby. Finally before we saw flocks of migrating Sandwich terns while returning to the coast we saw a pair of Canary off shore there were Cory’s shearwaters flying Island chat which are often found in the vicinity past. On a scrubby area outside the village of goat farms. calling from the top of a bush was a grey shrike which was joined by several juveniles begging for On another day we were taken to the Mirador de food. Morro Velosa at 2000 feet above sea level to start a walk along a ridge then down to the village of Betancuria. We had views over most of the island which at the time of filming in, December, was very dry. We moved forward several months to spring when the island becomes alive with carpets of flowers. The track from the ridge took us down through the only pine wood on Fuerteventura, where it is possible to find canaries and serins. Near the village a turtle dove was singing from a wire.

Our next bird was a blue tit of the North African race which has much more blue than our own. We were treated to a shot of one taking nectar Grey Shrike from the base of a hibiscus flower, of which there was profusion in the village. On a walk along the coast to the fishing village of La Salinas we saw feeding redshank, common sandpiper and greenshank. As the coast gets rockier there are pools for feeding waders, the commonest of which is whimbrel and we were shown some very good close-ups of this species along with spoonbill and Audouin’s gull. An African ground squirrel was seen enjoying a dust bath. At the village we saw salt production at the Salinas. We walked inland from the village up a barranco or river valley with date palms which hold good numbers of Spanish sparrows. Further up the dry river bed on an escarpment were kestrels and breeding brown-necked ravens while an Egyptian vulture was soaring overhead. Black-Winged Stilt

There are a surprising number of wetland areas on the island ranging from small reedy pools to larger reservoirs. At one such reservoir we saw a pair of ruddy shelduck. Another productive pool held a party of black-winged stilt, little ringed plover, snipe and a group of black-bellied sandgrouse with their wonderful purring call.

Finally we had some views of the island’s star attraction, Houbara bustard, which for its size can be quite difficult to find, easily disappearing behind a bush. Mary produced some superb close footage of one feeding followed by a Trumpeter Finch displaying male. As well as the birds, throughout the film we had some beautiful shots of the At the bottom of the cliffs were several trumpeter landscape with wild flowers and butterflies, finches with their toy trumpet call and a hoopoe accompanied by Mary’s very informative feeding amongst the vegetation. narrative. Thank you, Mary for a most entertaining evening. In tamarisk bushes we enjoyed the scratchy song Keith Barnes of Sardinian warbler, with its close relative The Black Isle Saturday 28 January

After an amazingly sunny and dry January, the Fortrose where great tit, blue tit, coal tit, and 9 day of the outing dawned grey, cold and with long long-tailed tits, as well as some goldfinch were spells of drizzle! However 18 stalwart folk met up feeding. A flock of redwing flew over, a great at North Kessock car park, and were happy to spotted woodpecker put in an appearance, one squeeze into 5 cars which gave the opportunity to lesser redpoll was calling and one mistle thrush visit and park in more places. was singing.

The timing and height of high tide was such that Chanonry Point was bitterly cold but notched up Udale was the priority, but we stopped briefly in a turnstone. At the east end of Avoch Industrial layby on the road to Udale to have good views of Estate dunnock and tree sparrow were added to a large finch flock which included many linnet the list. Where were the greenfinches and and some brambling, and whilst we were yellowhammers?? On to Coldwell to briefly see watching, a sparrowhawk flew across the road. pink-footed geese, greylag and 18 barnacle We arrived at Udale Bay two hours before high geese, before parking at Redcastle. The tide had water but already the marsh was flooding, and the ebbed slightly so there were many waders on the wigeon and teal were swirling about on the mud, and a pair of pintail in really good nick. A incoming tide. Two snipe were spotted close in calling raven flew over. front of us. 134 shelduck took flight and landed on the sea joined by a female scaup, whilst a Our last stop was at the large layby near couple of lapwing and several ringed plover fed Coulmore. The light was fading fast but, perhaps, or rested on the short grass. A pair of little grebe the sighting of the day was a mother and young were upstream. In the distance were the usual otter fishing and “duck-diving” just out from the flock of oystercatcher, a large group of curlew, seaweed. We watched as the young one steadily and further away bar-tailed godwit, dunlin and made its way inshore with a small fish and knot. We searched long and hard for the proceeded to eat, groom and rest amongst the American wigeon but to no avail. A group of five tangle. We all had great views through the skylark flew across the ploughed field behind scopes. After a while it went back to the sea, but whilst a goldcrest arrived in one of the alder was now separate from ‘mum’, so it gave high trees to give us good views. pitched squeaks as it swam to a higher rock where it perched until mum swam in. They had a Our next, brief, stop was at the car park east of brief nose-touch before both diving and making Jemimaville where a Slavonian grebe was close for deeper water...... in shore. More Slavonian grebe, some looking surprisingly large were spotted further out. A great deal of discussion took place but we erred on the side of caution although there was a report next day of a red-necked grebe being seen from Cromarty Harbour. Also distant were some displaying long-tailed duck, a lone red-throated diver, and a large raft of scaup. The seas have been unusually bereft of birds this year so we were quite pleased with our ‘haul’.

At Cromarty harbour area we could see a raft of red-breasted merganser and a few eider. A couple of rock pipit fed amongst the seaweed, as did a pied wagtail whilst a grey wagtail flew overhead. We had a quick stop for lunch at the Links area of Cromarty, but no extra species were seen. Our last species was a pair of mute swan sleeping on the mud near Charleston. This made As we drove along the main Cromarty/Inverness a total of 73 for the day, which was not too bad road a merlin was spotted on a post which flew we thought. past our car with a very fast and direct flight. A Galloways kestrel and buzzard were also seen. A flock of 3000+ pink-footed geese were at Glenurquhart Farm, but we continued to Arabella Croft, Hill of

Teruel: Spain’s Empty Quarter Occasionally white-spotted blue-throats are Thursday 23rd February seen and in winter large flocks of finches, including citril finch and brambling are around. On 23rd February Jeremy Brock gave a talk with The flora here includes a yellow stonecrop, a the intriguing title “Teruel-Spain’s empty quarter.” bellflower and peonies.

Lower down Jeremy showed a colourful field of red poppies, a sight rare in Britain now. At this altitude Montague’s harrier breed, and calandra lark and rock sparrow are found. A good variety of birds inhabit the limestone gorges, including blue rock thrush, rock bunting, alpine swift, crag martin and chough. Griffon vultures are extremely common. Unfortunately, any Bonelli’s eagles are being pushed out by griffon vultures and golden eagles.

Next we were shown the River Tagus area, with its black-bellied form of the dipper, plus birds such as crossbills and crested- tits. The barren rocky hills with their sparse black poplars are home to such as great-spotted and

green woodpeckers, the latter being the sharpei Teruel is a province of Aragon, which lies species as opposed to our viridis. Tree sparrows between Catalonia and the Basque Country, and and Spanish sparrows are also here, and has a continental climate. It includes the Sistema crested and thekla larks. In November 2015 Iberico, a range of flat but high mountains rising black-winged kites bred here for the first time, to over 5,000 metres. The province is three- thanks to a plague of voles. quarters the size of Wales, but with only about 140,000 population. It has old-fashioned villages, Birds in lower areas with scrubby bushes include castles on rocky outcrops, and some of the great grey and woodland shrikes, Bonelli’s architecture is Moorish. The area suffered in the and subalpine warblers and cirl bunting. Civil War, and one night the temperature dropped Unfortunately the population of Dartford to minus 15 Centigrade and 30,000 people died. warblers is crashing.

Jeremy described various habitats and their bird- At the north end of the mountains is steppe land, life, beginning with the highest. Here there is the habitat of birds including Dupont’s lark. Until prostrate juniper and also taller juniper trees, and the 1960s this bird was not thought to occur in to the east open coniferous woodland. Birds here Europe, but a bird-catcher was found catching include rock thrush, dunnock, nuthatch and them. This lark sings at night, stopping at 5am. redstart. Interestingly, most Scottish ring ouzels when it lands and then runs between the bushes. winter here, feasting on the juniper berries. Apparently the way to see it is to lie down at 4.30.am., being careful to avoid the hedgehog broom plants, and wait until the bird lands!

There are two wetlands in Teruel, one having been drained and reflooded, then drained again at the request of farmers. The other lies at 1,000 metres and is saline, and the speciality here is flocks of up to 60,000 European cranes. Finally, areas at lower altitude support birds such as hoopoe, serin and bee-eater.

So, thanks to Jeremy for a very thorough coverage of the little-known province of Teruel, both generally and bird-wise. Gillian Wylie

Field Trip Inverness to Nairn wall and one or two rock pipit were busy Saturday 25th February 2017 investigating nooks and crannies along the edge.

On a truly dreich morning an optimistic group of On returning to our cars we were treated to a rain-defiers met together at Milton of Culloden to magnificent ‘fly past’ of 30+ brent geese heading explore the route to Nairn. back towards the Nairn Golf Course! We were truly in luck as for two of our group it was a first Between the downpours and peering across the sighting. Mute swan, mallard, collared dove choppy white-tipped waves a remarkable 90+ and starling were then seen down where the scaup were spotted, and nearer to the shore river approaches the harbour. there were cormorant and goldeneye. It was too wet to linger long on our venture down the old Next stop Kingsteps, where a lone little egret A96, but a chaffinch and jackdaw were seen. was poking around in the marshy reedbed. Apparently it has been around since last October Driving slowly along the Alturlie road there were and despite the large number of dog walkers in redshank, several oystercatcher, mallard, the area it seemed quite at home. A first for me plenty of wigeon with gulls (herring and black- in the Highlands! headed) and crows (carrion and hooded) poking among the seaweed and stones fast being covered by the incoming tide. A skein of pink- footed geese flew honking across the firth.

From one of the farmland roads towards the airport (near Easter Dalziel) we stopped to investigate several flocks of yellowhammer, magnificent in their best breeding plumage and really well camouflaged among the flowering whin bushes. Our optimism was repaid as the rain blew over and with scopes well-positioned we focused on a distant stack of straw with lots of little LBJs hopping in and around the straw. They proved to be lots of very lively tree sparrows!

On route to Gollanfield Cemetery near Ardersier lapwing and common gull were seen. On arrival a buzzard flew over and a skylark was Across the bay were wigeon, red-breasted seen and heard, my first this year. A large merganzer, three eider, two sanderling and a number of greylag geese were feeding in a field bar-tailed godwit. Returning through the below us, quite unperturbed by our presence. undergrowth we saw a flock of long-tailed tits chasing each other plus coal, blue and great Alas, very disappointing to find no brent geese at tits. A busy goldcrest was high up in a clump of Nairn Golf Course so we continued on to the birch branches and a flock of goldfinch were harbour where a weak sun appeared, and flitting from tree to tree. A noisy, irritated robin although windy some of us munched our lunch scolded us from beside the path, and as we sitting on the rocks and watching a busy pied regained our cars a wren made a brief wagtail. appearance.

On our return to Inverness we stopped briefly at Loch Flemington where goldeneye, coot, little grebe, mute swan and mallard were peacefully feeding under an overcast sky. Bird count 42.

Thank you Hilary Rolton for such a successful outing and especially for offering so many views through your scope when the rain deterred others from setting up! Your knowledge and identification tips are much appreciated by those, like me, who need lots of help! Freydis Campbell Redshank and dapper turnstone were hunkered down sheltering/snoozing on the edge of the pier DAVIOT STANDOFF a nearby silver birch were looking very intently at the plump fruit on the rowan tree, which the The weather at Daviot during the second week of fieldfare clearly considered was his and his alone. January began dull with low temperatures transitioning (the weather forecasters new word) to wintry showers and then lots of snow.

When the fieldfare left his perch a number of waxwing would dart across to grab some berries only to retreat in the face of swift retaliation by the fieldfare as he swooped down shrieking at the interlopers. It put me in mind of a Stuka dive It encouraged us to walk locally including a couple of bomber of WW2 with its wailing siren (I watched ambles along the public road towards Dalroy, the far too many war films when I was a child). distance depending on how we felt and the likelihood Occasionally the fieldfare would seek to dislodge of showers; you can see the showers from a long way the waxwing from their position, which they off on many sections of this road. readily vacated for higher and safer perches in

the nearby pines. Soon, however, they would What struck me on these walks was the large retake their positions in the silver birch ready to number of birds which lifted off our front garden make another foray when the fieldfare next let its feeders and the ground below when we left home guard down. The standoff was no doubt set to and the almost complete absence of birds spotted continue for some time, but for us lunch was thereafter. Now this stretch of road is hardly a hot calling and it was really cold! spot for bird watching, but the adjoining pasture, woodland, forest and rough grazing plus The next day the wintry showers were still with us hedgerows can usually be guaranteed to provide and the fieldfare guarding his precious food at least a handful of different birds and sometimes source had new adversaries, namely a flock of 8, many more; we always take our binoculars just in mainly female, bullfinch. The same scenario as case something special turns up*. the day before played itself out. What became

increasingly apparent was that the fieldfare was But on these walks there was not a bird to be so intent on guarding his berries he had little time seen; nothing, nowt, nada, nix, zero, zilch. to consume them himself; the main priority was Maybe we were just unlucky in our timing or the clearly to make sure the bullfinches didn’t snaffle birds were “couried-doon” trying to keep warm. them. Of course there could have been a simpler explanation; some of them might have been in I returned to the rowan tree almost a week later our garden fuelling up at one of the many feeding on a very mild afternoon with no hint that the stations! (Have you ever worked out how much ground and trees had recently been covered with you spend on bird seed? If not I bet you would be deep snow. The fieldfare was nowhere to be surprised and start arguing for lower VAT on bird seen and somewhat surprisingly lots of berries food). remained on the tree, particularly on the lower

branches. Had the fieldfare grown tired of I exaggerated when I say there was not a dicky guarding the fruit or had he perhaps decided that bird; there was one oasis of bird activity – a red rowan berries were tastier? Maybe there are medium sized rowan tree with pinkish berries. As only so many rowan berries you can eat before we neared the tree we could hear the churring you fancy something else. Whatever the reason, sound of a thrush-like bird, which grew louder the we will remember to keep a very close eye on this closer we got. Bins out and there was a fieldfare rowan tree when we next take a winter amble on the crown of the tree and clearly very agitated along the Dalroy road. by our approach. On returning some time later Bob Shannon we could hear the fieldfare well before we saw the * Just to make the point; 12th February, when returning rowan tree; it was screeching its head off! The from a walk in Clava Forest along the Dalroy Road, we reason was soon clear; a flock of 13 waxwing on spotted a flock of crossbill feeding. Reminders Field Trip Notes

 Seating at meetings: The front row of seats is Please note the following for your safety and guidance available for those who have difficulty with walking when on field trips: hearing or seeing, please avail yourselves of this facility. Our trips are usually low risk and take account of the ages of the group but occasionally they may involve  Bad weather contacts: If you are in any doubt rocky paths, slippery duckboards or boggy ground. that a meeting will take place in adverse weather You can help to keep our trips enjoyable and trouble conditions, please contact any committee member free by observing the following advice: for up to date information. In the case of field trips please contact the leader for the day.  Check the weather forecast and bring appropriate footwear, normally sturdy boots  RSPB Sales: Maureen Macdonald will take and warm waterproof clothing. It can be wet, orders throughout the year for RSPB goods from windy, muddy, slippery or (even sometimes) the catalogue. Remember that both you and the very hot! There may be insect bites and ticks group funds benefit from this service. Orders for to contend with. You should consider taking bird foods can be delivered direct to your door, a whistle, stick, walking pole, map, a small postage free. first aid kit and even sun protection cream. A mobile phone can be useful in an emergency  Stamps: Rosie Barnes is still collecting used and of course do not forget your binoculars postage stamps on behalf of the RSPB, where and scope. they are still being collected to fund the ‘save the albatross campaign’.  Comply with route and safety instructions at

sites and with the request of the trip leader.  Shared Transport. If you do not have a car or would like a lift for a field trip please come along to our first meeting place, or alternatively phone the  Do not get separated from the group, field trip leader who will be pleased to help you. especially in the hills or unfamiliar terrain. Make sure that you know where the meeting place is and at what time you should be there.

Please note that the venue for the  If you have any particular health problems indoor meetings is Greyfriars Free that may slow you down or prevent you from safely completing the walk in time, please Church of Scotland, Balloan Road. speak to the group leader. If you are in any

doubt, stay with your vehicle or the bus. Directions: From the Inshes roundabout, turn onto the Southern Distributor road (B8082) (Tesco will be on your left). At the second roundabout turn right, sign  If you are carrying other members of the posted Hilton, Drakies. At the traffic lights turn left. The group in your own car, please ensure that venue is on the left a short distance along Balloan your insurance covers this, as most policies Road, almost opposite a play park. are invalidated if passengers are charged or There is plenty of parking available and the venue is contribute to the cost of petrol. fully accessible. It also has a speaker system.

Further information

Doreen Manson The RSPB is the country’s largest nature Muirton Lodge conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home. Urray

MUIR OF ORD IV6 7UR The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International, a partnership of conservation Telephone: 01997 433283 organisations working to give nature a home E-mail: [email protected] around the world.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England & Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654