Scottish birding holiday - January 2025

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Hope you all have a great trip. Sorry I can't be with you but we'd booked a January week In Norfolk before trip announced. Loved reading about John's first sighting of a golden eagle. Mine was distant in Ardamurchan area too but still find Mull the easiest place to find them as well as white tails but I've never been deep into Cairngorms except Dee source where did see a pair when snow on the ground.

Hope the weather works for you all
Jacquie

Looking forward  to going, not long now.

Jackie & Pete

Happy Christmas to all.

Below is the provisional itinerary for the Highland Birding Holiday : January 14-18, 2025.

Day 1

* Departure from various Lincolnshire pick-up locations (to be detailed in travel documents). 

* Mid-morning break at Wetherby A1 motorway service station (where there is likely to be greeting party of Pied Wagtails with possibly distant views of Red Kites).

* Lunch break at Moffat. Adjacent  to the coach stop is a small park where there may be dippers/ grey wagtails on the burn running alongside it. Moffat is home of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle project. Eagles are seldom seen over the town but there may be views of individual birds  soaring over the hills in the 10 miles or so on the A9 out of town. 

* Arrival at Duke of Gordon hotel in time for evening meal.


Day 2

Coach excursion to  Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve in the heart of the Monadhliath mountains where we will look for, among other species,  Golden Eagles, Black Grouse, Ptarmigan, Redpoll, Siskin, Woodcock, Mountain Hare, Otter, Water Vole, Red Deer and more,  

There is the choice of  three trails:

a)  Allt Dubh (pronounced 'alt doo'): allow up to four hours, there and back, to the foothills of the mountains.

b)  An Sìdhean (pronounced (ann-shee-ann'): allow 45 minutes

c)  Alderwood: allow 30 minutes 

On our return, we may stop briefly (less than an hour) at Newtonmore to explore the village before returning to our hotel  (some in our party may choose to walk the the scenic footpath from Newtonmore back to Kingusssie).  

 
Day 3

Birdwatching on foot around RSPB Insh Marshes (raptors, duck, waders, winter finches). There will also be opportunities to explore Kingussie itself which is close to the banks of the River Spey and where there is also a wildlife pond and marsh at the end of the main road through the village (about a mile from the hotel).

 
Day 4

Coach excursion to RSPB Abernethy/ Loch Garten. The nesting Ospreys will be absent (probably in Africa), but during our 60-90 minute visit, we will hope to see Crested Tits on the feeders and possibly Crossbills in the treetops, plus maybe Goldeneye/and or other waterfowl on the loch opposite the car park. (Note there may be an admission charge to the visitor centre for RSPB non-members, though this has not been imposed on our two previous visits).

After Abernethy, we will head for Cairngorm Mountain where there will be opportunities to scan the mountains for raptors and Red / Black Grouse plus Ptarmigan which are sometimes seen near the ski lifts. Fingers crossed,  interesting passerine species might also come into view (dare we hope for a Great/Lesser Grey Shrike or is that shooting for the moon?). Assuming it is operational, the funicular rail travels  the top of the mountain for spectacular views in all directions.
 

Day 5

As Day 1 in reverse, particularly watching for soaring Golden Eagles as we travel through the Pass of Drumochter on the A9 road south of Dalwhinnie

 
Note 1

There will be some non-birders who are very welcome  to make their own arrangements during our stay in Kingussie - for instance, to go skiing (take out insurance!) or to catch the regular  bus outside the hotel to Aviemore. The railway station is three minutes walk from the hotel with regular ScotRail trains to Aviemore/ Inverness in one direction and Pitlochry/Perth in the other - all three well worth exploring (and the New Year sales are likely to be running).
 

Note 2

The coach is unable to reach more remote locations such as Findhorn (Eagle) Valley and some other  rare bird hotspots. However, if there is sufficient interest and the cost is acceptable, some may prefer to hire a taxi (or 8-seater minibus with driver) on one or more of the days. By private arrangement, bookings can be made via hotel reception or direct with any of up to five taxi firms that operate out of Aviemore.
 

Note 3 

The itinerary is subject to change according to weather or other unforeseeable circumstances.

There may still be some place on the excursion, with details available from Cairngorm Travel (01405 761334).
 

Sad to say I've never seen a definite Golden Eagle in the wild (but on the plus side, I have seen a Snowy Owl) 

Lovely picture! Can always remember my first Golden Eagle which was spotted by my pal who was far more experienced at recognising these than I, we hadn't long got off the ferry at Ardgour and was making our way to Kilchoan on our first day of hols when he said STOP unfortunately I had a driver up my rear end when I indicated, and as she passed me I noticed she had one arm out the window making a very rude sign to which I offered one back. My pal said look straight up and there it was soaring high above us, my very first Golden Eagle. On this holiday I also got to see the White-tailed Sea Eagle pair that had a nest on Mull at a well known site on Loch na Keal also for very first time. While we was viewing the pair there was quite a lot of birders there and one in particular came over and said Hello Max you are THE Max who writes on the LBC forum , I was gobsmacked and said yes I am, who are you, he said a regular who reads your posts and others but I never post anything, we had a wee chat while I filmed the eagles going back and forth and later said our byes, never seen him since and that was fourteen years ago. Small world.