Scotland: Aviemore Area (1 Viewer)

[Sandra (Taylor)]

My son is going up to Aviemore for a week on Saturday. He knows the area and has favourite places to visit and has one or two site books but wonders if anyone in or near that area knows of anywhere interesting he should be visiting or within half a day's drive. He will be doing Findhorn Valley/Boat of Garten/Loch Ruthven?)/Carrbridge etc... I will be checking Bird Guides until Saturday for him.

Thanks in advance

Sandra:t:

 

[delia todd]

What about the Moray Firth and Black Isle, Sandra?

D

 

[aythya_hybrid]

Are there any species he particularly wants to see?

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Oh Yes, I bet that's already on the itinerary - I usually get a phonecall at work "guess what we're looking at? A dolphin/crested tit/golden eagle - not the second two on the Black Isle usually but usually red kite. Grrh....... "

Sandra

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

No - anything & everything. They get as much pleasure out of the more common birds as they do 'one-offs'.

Sandra

 

[Capercaillie71]

Can't add anything too helpful I'm afraid, but I was over on Speyside last week for work, and had a half hour walk down the Loch Mallachie trail at Loch Garten. It was fairly quiet - no cresties (unlike my last visit), but a few coal tits, goldcrests and treecreepers. There were six snipe on a muddy patch at the edge of Loch Garten and a couple of Goldeneye, but not much else. It's probably a good time of year to see Capercaillie if he's willing to go for a walk along some of the remoter tracks in Abernethy or Glenmore forest.

I hope he gets weather like it was last week!

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Can't add anything too helpful I'm afraid, but I was over on Speyside last week for work, and had a half hour walk down the Loch Mallachie trail at Loch Garten. It was fairly quiet - no cresties (unlike my last visit), but a few coal tits, goldcrests and treecreepers. There were six snipe on a muddy patch at the edge of Loch Garten and a couple of Goldeneye, but not much else. It's probably a good time of year to see Capercaillie if he's willing to go for a walk along some of the remoter tracks in Abernethy or Glenmore forest.

I hope he gets weather like it was last week!

What a smashing photo you've posted there.

They'll probably inspect the feeders at the Slavonian grebe parking place first - had cresties there a couple of times. He will keep a sharp eye out for capercaillie while they're driving round too, as we have seen them from the roadside in previous years. Always seems to be cheating a bit - would probably appreciate them more after a 2 hour trek! Not really - we did appreciate the views we had.

Have the roosting geese arrived at Loch Garten yet?

Sandra

 

[paulwfromtheden]

What a smashing photo you've posted there.

They'll probably inspect the feeders at the Slavonian grebe parking place first - had cresties there a couple of times. He will keep a sharp eye out for capercaillie while they're driving round too, as we have seen them from the roadside in previous years. Always seems to be cheating a bit - would probably appreciate them more after a 2 hour trek! Not really - we did appreciate the views we had.

Have the roosting geese arrived at Loch Garten yet?

Sandra

Hi Sandra,
I did a week volunteering to RSPB Insh Marshes; that's a great place as well. Should be loads of overwintering waders, swans, geese etc
Paul

 

[Capercaillie71]

Have the roosting geese arrived at Loch Garten yet?

I saw a small flock of greylags flying down the Spey. None on Loch Garten though.

 

[Speyside]

For events and attractions in the area I use www.visitaviemore.com and www.greaterspeyside.com which gives you plenty of info on things to do in the area. Hope this helps.

Rene

PS Just found a Red Deer Rut Safari on for next week at www.greaterspeyside.com which might be of interest. The guy who organises it is also into birds and other wildlife. Maybe good idea to drop him an email?

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Thanks for that info Rene. Don't know whether they will want to spend £25 each though even though it's a one-off experience I'm sure. I will pass that on to him.

Sandra

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Hi Sandra,
I did a week volunteering to RSPB Insh Marshes; that's a great place as well. Should be loads of overwintering waders, swans, geese etc
Paul

The Insh marshes you and everyone else has experienced is totally a different place from the Insh marshes we have visited. In maybe 5 visits over many years we have seen a deer, a buzzard ................. can't remember anything else. This must have been in Spring or Autumn as that's the only time we go to Scotland. But we drive past as we approach Aviemore making negative comments about it! Naughty I know - but we can only go by our experience. I promise we will try it again one of these days.

Sandra

 

[gordon hamlett]

My son is going up to Aviemore for a week on Saturday. He knows the area and has favourite places to visit and has one or two site books but wonders if anyone in or near that area knows of anywhere interesting he should be visiting or within half a day's drive. He will be doing Findhorn Valley/Boat of Garten/Loch Ruthven?)/Carrbridge etc... I will be checking Bird Guides until Saturday for him.

Thanks in advance

Sandra:t:

Hi Sandra,

Seaduck numberswill be building nicely so I recommend a trip to Burghead Bay. Park at the Roseisle car park off the B9089 Forres to Burghead road. Fantastic views on a good day with seals and dolphins a chance as well as plenty of common and velvet scoters (chance of a surfie) plus long-tailed duck. Also cresties in the wood.

Yoa are also near Findhorn Bay, albeit with the grottiest hide in Scotland by a distance, for waders and Burghead and Lossiemouth harbours nearby for purple sands.

HTH

Gordon