I am currently enjoying an ice cold beer, after a very warm day birding up Deeside! First stop was Dinnet oakwood, where in early May, i had missed Wood warbler....Not so this time, though, as Daves keen eyes soon picked up a bird, that turned into a pair, being kept very busy feeding some young in the nest. One of the birds was colour ringed, probably at this site last year. Although Dinnet was quiet, there were plenty of other things there, Redstarts, Tree pipits, Redpoll, and Claire was lucky enough to flush a Woodcock while trying to photograph a Great spotted woodpecker.
Next up was a visit to a site where we hoped we might come across some Crossbills. We only heard some, distant, and probably not Common crossbill, but were not too disappointed. The site is in a beautiful area, and usually turns up something interesting. Today, raptor watching turned up at least 4 buzzards, probably two Ospreys, and 1 cracking female Goshawk, while the nearby loch had breeding Little grebe, and Widgeon. Other birds present on the hillsides were a distant Cuckoo, Coal tits feeding young in the nest, and a lovely male Redstart, sitting out in the open and singing its head off, while we all enjoyed scope views.
Looking forward to getting right up onto the tops on thursday!
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