SCOTLAND IN STYLE: BIRDS & HISTORY A birding and history break in the bonnie Scottish Highlands APRIL 23–MAY 2, 2019 Top voted bird of the trip was the superb male Black Grouse displaying at its lek – Photo: Andrew Whittaker LEADERS: ANDREW WHITTAKER & PHIL JONES LIST COMPILED BY: ANDREW WHITTAKER VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM Another fantastic time was had by all in Bonnie Scotland! This year, more than ever, the birding and scenery were simply breathtaking! Based in our wonderful cozy hotel, we enjoyed superb food and birding throughout an exciting week. We marveled as we explored vibrantly colorful glens, stark seabird-rich sea cliffs, and picture-perfect lochs. We strolled in towering Caledonian forests and enjoyed a constant backdrop of either snow-capped peaks, wildflowers, or vibrant ever-changing spring greens in hedgerows and in the lovely glens. This tour combines birding with a wealth of Scottish history, including visits to castles, stately homes, and bleak, wild, windswept battlefields. We also get a chance to warm the cockles of our hearts with a wee dram of delightful single malt on an excellent guided tour of one of the world’s finest Scots Whisky Distilleries! Sharing many wonderful moments with such a wonderful group of warm, friendly people while based in the delightful Grant Arms, a historic (birding) hotel in the charming town of Granton on Spey, is always a joy. Here, as always, we enjoyed their marvelous hospitality, often being treated like royalty (whom, in fact, have also stayed here) with countless delicious meals (we all certainly gained a little weight); really, how can life get much better? Cairngorms National Park – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 This year in the UK, despite 100-year record high April temperatures (warmer than the Mediterranean), the spring again was late, this time even more than almost three weeks, causing us to sadly miss some migrants. However, we were blessed with mostly wonderful spring weather throughout and, as usual, our birding highlights were still many. Certainly, none of us will ever forget starting with a bang with stunning studies of the male Black Grouse on a newly found lek! All spellbound, we had to return again to observe them carry out their odd courtship rituals in all their glorious colors. Their odd calls echoed over the bleak moor while the romantic calls of displaying Eurasian Curlews filled the air. We had this year’s two exciting rarities too, first the lovely summer plumaged Yellow-billed Loon (White-billed Diver) at sea, where we all had great scope views, followed by the striking yellow-legged adult Baltic Gull on Black Isle (which, by the way, thankfully was relocated by locals at the same bay on May 23 and this time photographed and its ID confirmed)! Eurasian Blue Tit with food – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Voted number two bird of the trip was the wonderfully responsive Tawny Owl, of which we had exceptional daytime studies! Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 Tawny Owl came in to playback in broad daylight – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 My personal highlight overall this year, however, was the loon show! We had Red-throated and Arctic loons (a pair almost so close we could touch them), both in superb breeding plumage, with the icing on the cake: the summer plumaged Yellow-billed Loon, an exceptionally rare winter visitor in Scotland at sea, plus a winter plumaged Common Loon (Great Northern Diver). Four species being seen well is far from shabby! Stunning Arctic Loon (Black-throated Diver) in breeding plumage - Photo: Andrew Whittaker However, the rarest sighting by far and a real surprise to me was when I found a Baltic Gull, a full mega BBOC rarity, especially after just seeing them migrating north from west Africa through Southern Israel on our great new Southern Israel: Spring Migration Spectacular tour! Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 How everybody adored these ever so cute Scottish lambs – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Other memorable moments were marvelous soaring Red Kites, as well as observations which I termed ‘bambie’ moments, like the tiny Graylag Goose with goslings, or the multitude of green fields full of tiny, cute, and playful lambs! Picture-perfect bubbly crystal-clear mountain streams traversed by historic boulder bridges produced stunning studies of the poorly-named gorgeous Gray Wagtail, displaying Common Sandpiper, and the enigmatic White-throated Dipper, again this year feeding young. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 We enjoyed the striking Crested Tit – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Mirror-image lochs surrounded by pristine Caledonian Pine forest rewarded us with the colorful much-wanted endemic Scottish Crossbill, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Goldfinch, Tree Pipit, tiny Goldcrest, and flocks of enigmatic tits including the classic and lovely Crested Tit, balls of pink and white fluff in the form of the ever so cute Long-tailed Tit, and reams of color from Blue and Great tits, as well as the badger-looking Coal Tit. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 Always much sought after, the lovely White-throated Dipper – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Stupendous mountain scenery throughout with awe-inspiring views over remote glacial valleys, spectacular heather moorlands, and rich deciduous forested valleys rewarded us with Common Buzzard; Peregrine Falcon; Goshawk; Red Kite; Eurasian Teal; migrant Ring Ouzel; displaying male Common Cuckoo (most not in yet); European Stonechat; Northern Wheatear; Eurasian Curlew; displaying Northern Lapwing; lovely Golden Plover; Willow Ptarmigan (Red Grouse a good split); stunning Red-legged Partridge; and herds of majestic Red Deer. Sadly, the Fenicular railway up to the Cairngorms peak was closed three weeks before the trip, so we missed out on Rock Ptarmigan, Dotterel, and Snow Bunting; instead, we had a glorious hike on a perfect morning. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 Red Grouse (Willow Ptarmigan) male caught drinking! – Photo: Andrew Whittaker We also explored the wealth of Scottish history, visiting the historical sites of Cawdor Castle (linked with Macbeth and Shakespeare) or Ballindalloch Castle and its simply stunning gardens and owl. At the lovely secluded Urquhart Castle we missed seeing the famous Nessy (Loch Ness Monster) as we scanned Loch Ness! Last but not least, the famous and stark Cullodon Battlefield with its fantastic display including that unforgettable panoramic video (as if you were involved in the battle) was a truly powerful and moving site. Sad to think back on a glorious sunny afternoon to a cold windy morning in 1745 when the Scottish Jacobite rising came to such a tragic and bloody end, with countless Scottish and many English lives sadly lost on the battlefield! Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 9 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 Stunning garden of Ballindalloch Castle – Photo: Andrew Whittaker In stark contrast, however, magnificent towering granite sea cliffs on the east coast provided us with a spectacle of countless thousands of breeding seabirds, the highlight being a fantastic close-up view into a frantic gannetry with countless thousands of Northern Gannets, some nest building. We also marveled over close-up studies of Atlantic Puffin; Razorbill; Common Murre (Guillemot); Black-legged Kittiwake; Northern Fulmar; Rock Pipit; and stunning Common Eiders displaying offshore. Splendid flowering gorse was ablaze along the cliffs where we could hear the endearing song, “a little-bit of bread and no cheese” as handsome male Yellowhammers proclaimed their territories! Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 10 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 A very handsome Razorbill checks us all out! – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Northern Gannet at lovely Troup Head seabird cliffs – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 11 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 Countless lochs and rich coastal flats rewarded us with large flocks of migrant Pink-footed Geese; Common Shelduck; smart breeding plumaged Common Eider; Long-tailed Duck; Greater Scaup; Common Goldeneye; Common and Red-breasted mergansers; Eurasian Wigeon; lovely, striking Redshank; Eurasian Whimbrel; Reed Bunting; and both Little and Horned grebes, also in stunning full breeding plumage! A pair of stupendous summer plumaged Horned (Slavonian) Grebes – Photo: Andrew Whittaker For me, however, bonnie Scotland brought back many fond childhood birding memories from the UK during this great tour. Another highlight for me was, as always, the wonderful roding Woodcock at dusk; one night especially, our last night, one almost landed on top of us! A real favorite is always the charming Cawdor Castle – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 12 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 Mammal highlights are always good too, and this trip did not let us down with great looks at shy Roe Deer and lovely Red Squirrel. Plus, our incredible popular dusk watch from the heated blind awarded close-up studies of the rarely seen Pine Marten and a family of smart-looking European Badgers. Our dusk watch rewarded us with superb European Badger – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Buck Roe Deer in Scottish Pine forest – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 13 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 All in all, a fantastic group enjoyed a truly superb Scottish experience. I’m already looking forward to our return next year! I really thank you all for traveling with us, and I do hope to see you again sometime in the future on another exciting VENT trip to some excellent exotic birdy destination. Happy birding! Northern Fulmar courtship – Photo: Andrew Whittaker Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 14 Scotland in Style: Birds & History, 2019 ITINERARY: April 23: Departures from United States, onto the UK and Scotland.