LBC in talks with holiday company about birding holidays to Scottish Highlands

You’re right about the narrow woad, Alan. Our coach driver, Paul, performed heroics.

Hope you enjoy Lochindorb tomorrow, we have been a few times and the end of the loch as you first approach it is usually reliable for Black-Throated Divers. Looking forward to seeing how you get on there as the road is very narrow and would have thought a coach would have  great difficulty along the road. Plenty of Red Grouse in the area as well and usually good numbers of Common Sandpiper.along the shore.Scanning the hillside can produce assorted raptors.

 Highlights of pre-breakfast stroll around the hotel this morning were red squirrel (2), treecreeper (2), bullfinch (2), goosander (2) and mistle thrush (2). Both willow warblers and song thrushes are very common hereabouts.

 The trusty ospreys provided great live views at the nest during this morning’s visit to Loch Garten..

 Weather overcast but dry and not cold.

 The crossbills and crested tits were mostly elusive, though Ian Misselbrook was sufficiently alert to detect an example of the latter (for all of six seconds). 

We didn’t expect to see the fast-declining capercaillies (their location in the forest is understandably a secret closely guarded by the RSPB).  Nor did we.

On the plus side, for some on the party, there was a welcome sighting of singing tree pipits. 

Two goldeneye were conspicuous. Less so was a female teal. 

Several common sandpipers in breeding mode were also good to see.

 Just a short walk from the hotel, there are very showy dippers, and sand martins are prospecting for potential nesting sites along the bank of a fast-moving stream.

Tomorrowv is officially a non-excursion day, but one enterprising group of 16 have decided to book a taxi trip to the funicular railway in the hope of glimpsing ptarmigan, snow buntings (and perhaps early dotterel) on the mountain top. 

Another group is taking the 2.5-mile walk to Insh Marshes where word is that a couple of cranes have been starring.  :                
 

Thanks John.

Nothing too special on the outward journey, though there were occasional good sightings of oystercatcher, lapwing, buzzard and red kite.

At the lunchtime stop at Dumfriesshire, there was a good find by Terry Whalin, a pair of courting dippers on a stream running alongside Station Park which is next to the coach park. Also here were several singing willow warblers and chiffchaffs plus one or two blackcaps.

A song thrush was piping loudly on arrival at the Duke of Gordon hotel - known locally as the 'dog'.

Alan beat me to it

Was going to wish the travellers safe journey and hope you get both or at least one specie of eagle. If I was going target bird would be Crested Tit as never saw it on my trips to Bonnie Scotland.

Am also expecting a full report from at least one of you, like I always did.

Plus a group photo with names so I can identify members.

Good luck!!

Max