Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Yesterday: A whooper swan was just off the spit at Ardmair - but no wheatears were seen.
Driving north, I could see half a dozen whoopers down on Cam Loch, but they were in a tight bunch and looked a bit nervy, so I didn't stop. Turning east at Ledmore Junction I was prepared for the new open vistas to the right of the road, but I was surprised to see a new forestry road to the left; are they going to take all those trees as well? Now, I like a bit of clear-fell as much as the next birder, but this is getting ridiculous - and it's not as though I can look forward to woodlark or nightjar in compensation for the possible loss of crossbills. (On the way back, I spotted the only crossbill of the day on a treetop at the side of this new road.)
This is the first mountain hare I've seen dead on the road - but I'm not sure it was roadkill as there was no blood. Beautiful creature.
At Loch Craggie, there was frogspawn in the usual ditch but no sign yet of palmate newts. My first great spotted woodpecker of the year was heard and then briefly seen as it flew. A buzzard flew past. I crossed the road and walked up the other forestry track, hoping for snipe in one of the damp ditches there - but nothing. I drove slowly back. Where the road runs close to Loch Borralan, four goldeneye (2 male, 2 female) were in a little bay straight ahead, looking gorgeous in the sun; but when I slowed up and pulled into a rough lay-by, they took to the air and flew across the water to the far side.
Last week I collected treecreeper, grey wagtail, goldcrest, and dipper at Silverbridge for my year list. At the dam on the way back there were two pied wagtails on the wall (birds on the move, I think, as they were the first I've seen there this year) and a pair of kestrels each perching on a separate buttress where the ravens usually nest. A raven came kronking in from the south.....
.....and next time I looked, the kestrels had gone!
