Sunday 24 July was a cold day. with low pressure off the northeast of Scotland, and the strong northerlies brought chill winds off the North Sea. In the Abernethy Forest just a couple of miles from our Hotel, birds were gathering to migrate, beginning to form small groups and moving through the woods. Meadow Pipits and Mistle Thrushes joined woodland birds such as Willow Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers, all flitting through the birches. Could it be autumn already?

Off to a favourite nearby loch, where we saw not the expected pair, but no fewer than six Black-throated Divers. All adults, these birds were diving together, sticking very close as they dreamily circumnavigated the loch. Questions, questions. Why did the four non-breeders come to this loch instead of flying straight to the coast? Why did the resident pair tolerate the newcomers? Whatever the reason, these birds were clearly reacting to the changing season. Two Red-throats quickly left the water as the Black-throats drifted in their direction, and our group enjoyed fantastic views as the birds continued around to our pre-selected vantage point. Look at the stripes on the necks, see the large white patch on the flanks, check the black 'wash' on the face against the book, we could really enjoy these superb birds. No Common Sandpipers on the waters' edge, ever present since April, but gone now, and the loch seemed quieter than usual as the cold breeze blew. Cup of tea please, yes it is autumn alright!

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

A female Pine Marten has been feeding her three big kittens close to Mountview hotel this spring, and our group all saw four animals early one June evening. Great views for everyone inside our mobile hide minibus, a lifetime tick for many, and all in the short period between shower and dinner one evening!

We will continue to monitor these Martens, and will take groups to see them whenever we can. Pine Martens frequently change their habits, and whilst it is possible to habituate individuals for a while, it is natural for them to move on - nobody 'owns' a Pine Marten!

At this very convenient site martens have been appearing erratically for about three years, so we are hopeful for the future and will be working to keep them interested - let's see what happens! No charge for this extra service of course.

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

A lovely and enthusiastic male Common Rosefinch was in Nethy for about a week during June. The bird was first found by Dave Pullan, taking a day off from his Heatherlea guiding duties on our 'High Season across the Highlands' holiday. Using his day wisely, Dave was poised in front of the village bottlebank when the bird began singing directly behind him. Two Heatherlea groups got great views, and later the bird was heard and seen again at the bottom of Mountview Hotel drive.

Not a 'mega' rarity, but enough to bring a fair few twitchers into the village, who we tried to help locate the bird. Just shows what is around if you pay attention! Well done Dave, and thanks to Heatherlea Guide John Poyner for this great video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE9nvgy0vEo

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

We had a great time in Nepal recently, travelling across the lowland reserves, with a couple of internal flights to make life easier. With over 300 birds at a leisurely pace during 14 days of birding, this was a great trip in the Heatherlea style - not too much effort, but lots of wildlife! Nepal has a limited infrastructure, with no central heating, heavy traffic everywhere consisting mainly of cyclists and pedestrians, and restricted electricity supply. We soon relaxed, not least because the people are so friendly and happy that it is impossible not to be captivated by Nepal. Our trip included two elephant rides (producing Indian One-horned Rhino each time), two tremendous river boat trips (close views of Ganges River Dolphin and Indian Gharial), jeep safaris, local dancing and singing on three nights, a visit to a Hindu Temple and a Buddist Stupa, both World Heritage Sites, and much more. Thoroughly enjoyable and memorable - what a place! 

                              
               Taken from Elephant back!                             Kevin, Mike and the group 

                              
              Our accommodation at Chitwan                      Red-necked Falcon

We will return to Nepal in February 2012, but with a slightly different itinerary. We will spend more time at the key reserves of Chitwan and Koshi, repeat our great day on Phulkowski Hill, and drive down from Kathmandu to Chitwan to give us a good chance of seeing Ibisbill. We again fly back to Kathmandu at the end of the trip, with an optional sightseeing extension which is well worth doing. This holiday will be ideal for those who have never been to Nepal, followed in 2013 by a more specialist tour, which will see us return to Bardia and Lumbini amongst other key places. Our friends in high places are already preparing both trips, which will soon be on our website - please pop back around the end of February, when the whole thing should be available to read, or telephone 01479 821248 for a chat. Promises to be another cracker!

Kevin

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

What a great start to our 2011 season, with Capercaillie, Golden Eagle, Crested Tit and Black Grouse on our very first day, all seen clearly by everyone. With Red Deer, Roe Deer, Red Squirrel and Mountain Hare (increasingly uncommon these days), also all seen by everyone, our Top Twenty holiday is really off to a flyer.

The highlight must have been the Capercaillie though, a male bird almost as keen to find us as we were to see him! This individual is getting quite well known, a very smart-plumaged 'rogue' bird which attacks anyone who approaches too close. Our last reliable rogue Caper was seen in 1993 - 5, so this is an unusual opportunity which we recommend to all. Visit now while the bird is still around!

All these pictures taken by myself on Sunday 6 February 2011. In the bottom shot you can see Heatherlea guide John Poyner stage left, with the rest of the group very intent on Caper watching!

Kevin

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

A great birding week, the highlights perhaps being three cock Capercaillie (seen by most but not all guests), and a superb King Eider, close-in and displaying all key plumage features. Other good birds enjoyed by all were Black Grouse, Crested Tit and Golden Eagle, and ‘rarities’ included Great Grey Shrike and a confiding Bittern, both at Insh Marshes. Our total list of 101 species also included Slavonian Grebe, 14 duck species including both Velvet and Common Scoter and Long-tailed, Red Grouse, Woodcock, Black Guillemot, Waxwing, Brambling, Parrot Crossbill and Snow Bunting. A very healthy start to the New Year’s list for all participants!

Hogmanay itself is a key part of this holiday, and after Dinner some of our Group joined in with the Nethy Bridge fireworks celebration, followed by a bird ID quiz and singing (by Jonny, resplendent in his kilt) back at the Mountview. Some hardy souls were taken into Grantown, to join in with locals in the outdoor party, with live music and dancing, whilst the rest of us saw in ‘The Bells’ at the Hotel, followed by a chorus of Auld Lang Syne and more fireworks. Most were in bed at a reasonable hour, though a generously late breakfast on New Year’s Day allowed people the choice of early morning birding around the Hotel or a lie-in.

At the end of the week, our round-up produced a few interesting non-birding highlights amongst all the great sightings enjoyed, including;
‘the look of the Hotel Lounge as we came up the drive …
’the guides’ skills of listening in the field makes me want to learn more about birdsound …
’excellent hotel ambience, food and crack …
’Strathdearn never fails to lift my heart …
’Ian and Jonny’s patience …
’good weather and great light, particular on the morning of the partial solar eclipse …
’Hogmanay! … ‘

Thanks to Heatherlea guide Ian Ford for these images from the holiday. A thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all – many thanks to those who made it so much fun, and especially those who immediately booked the same holiday for this coming Hogmanay as well!

Kevin
 

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

Everything is ready here at The Mountview, most of the snow has melted, and our suppliers have made sure we are well stocked. Our minibuses have had their PCV check and are ready to roll; Mountview Hotel is cosy and warm, the kitchen is busy, the fire is roaring, and our guests beginning to arrive. Hurrah! We are going birding again!

Because of the recent bad weather, our team spend some time the day before the holiday checking sites we need for this holiday, to save time finding a few key species, and to make sure access is possible and safe. Ian finds Cresties at a local feeder, and an hour later Kevin confirms the birds are still coming in, and also hears a nearby Jay. Jonny checks our Black Grouse site, and there are female birds (Greyhens) in evidence. There is a Crested Tit on the hotel feeders, and two Red Squirrels appear to have camped out here too. Later, Kevin and Ian join up to check an exciting new site on farmland down by the River Spey. Can we get the buses into here? Yes, the ground is icy in places but melting fast. We see a Stoat in ermine, a group of about 20 Teal, and large numbers of Greylags grazing on the fields next to the river. Above all, the views are spectacular, as winter mists roll across the jagged outline of the Kincardines, and the setting sun produces orange tints in the western sky. Our guests will love this. A brief joke with the farmer, busying in his tractor, and then we check our local Nethy eagle viewpoint. No birds, but access is fine, so no worries. Ian spends time in Grantown, yes we can get the group to the best Caper sites, and all is ready. 

Ian and Kevin greet the guests as they settle down to smoked salmon followed by roast pork, and it's a relatively early night. Everyone has arrived safely, and we schedule breakfast for 7am, so we can begin at the Blackcock site around 8.30. will the birds be good to us?  

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

Our 'Birders' Tours' are a unique idea, taking you to the furthest flung outposts of the British Isles. Literally in the case of the Shetland Birders' Tour, where we drove across Unst to get a view of Muckle Flugga, Britain's most northerly island!

Destinations are selected with autumn migration in mind, and we now offer trips to Fair Isle, North Ronaldsay and the Outer Hebrides as well as Shetland. What makes this wide choice unique though is that Heatherlea guides all live in the north of Scotland, so you can join us at our HQ in Nethy Bridge and hitch a lift with us to Aberdeen, Scrabster or Ullapool to catch your plane or ferry. We don't charge extra for this, and you can leave your car safely parked at our Hotel, again foc.

These special tours are always popular, though in 2010 the winds were favourable, particularly on Shetland, and we bagged a huge list. Here are the key species; 

Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Shetland 2010, pic Heatherlea guide Dave Pullan.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Buff-bellied Pipit
Citrine Wagtail
Bluethroat
Red-flanked Bluetail
Hermit Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Barred Warbler
Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler
Booted Warbler
Sykes’s Warbler
Arctic Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Radde’s Warbler
Firecrest
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Arctic Redpoll
Common Rosefinch
Little Bunting
Lapland Bunting
Black-headed Bunting

Buff-bellied Pipit. Shetland 2010, pic Heatherlea guide Dave Pullan.

All were seen on Shetland except the Hermit Thrush and the vireo, which were on the Outer Hebs. Birds from all four directions, with a preponderance of eastern species, but a lot of American birds too. I was lucky enough to join one of the Shetland trips, and collected six lifers, after 20 years running Heatherlea I don't see that happening again in Scotland!

One of the nicest things on Shetland was our discovery of Busta House, a cracking Hotel with a super-cracking garden, which contained lots of warblers when we were there, including both Arctic and Yellow-browed. This hotel is perfectly situated right in the middle of mainland Shetland, and I'm pleased to say we have added Busta House into our itinerary for 2011, staying here for three nights DBB at the end of each of our two weeks. A little bit of comfort, with genuinely exciting birding right in the garden. This pic shows just how enticing this place is to birders who might want a bit of comfort too! Naturally there is no change to our price, we think you are worth it!

Busta House, Shetland

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

With about a metre of snow on the ground, it's a good job most of our staff live in Nethy Bridge! Heatherlea guides Jonny, Dave, John and Ian are all - ahem - working from home this week (at least that's what they say), whilst Kevin, Amanda, Emma and Isobel are struggling through the snow to answer your enquiries and process outstanding trip reports in the office. 

Birdwise, things are tough for our feathered friends, though we are enjoying some interesting sightings. Highlight this week so far is a male Yellowhammer, unusual for us in November anyway, but pretty special this year. Nethy is over 700 ft in altitude, and these birds prefer lower levels in winter. Our feeders are also populated by large Siberian-race Blackbirds, which arrived early in the month, and must now be wondering why they bothered. I spent over an hour yesterday cutting paths through the snow so we could reach all the feeders, and our regular birds are taking advantage. The small Red Squirrels are finding it tough to even reach our hotel garden, hopefully they will be OK deeper in the woods. A flock of Goldfinches graced the birches earlier this morning, there are Long-tailed Tits buzzing through the willows, and scheming Rooks are wondering just how to dismantle the hanging feeders. A whooshing Sparrowhawk cleared the whole garden yesterday, but wasn't successful in its hunt.

We hope you are all able to make the best of the bad weather, wildlife watching is still absorbing of course, however restricted!

Wrap up warm,

Kevin

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website

The Heatherlea Bursary in Environmental Science has been running for several years now. The latest recipient (2010/11) is studying for an MSc in Ecology and the Environment, including modules concerning wildlife monitoring, GIS programming and habitat management, with a view to becoming an ecologist. He writes to us;

'I have only just chosen my project, it carries on from my undergrad research into Epigenetics. It’s a new and exciting area of evolutionary biology, which is concerned with how an organism’s (including humans) environment can effect their offspring. Although having worked for six months to build up funds, I did not anticipate all the smaller costs which add up, such as petrol and food. The Heatherlea Bursary is invaluable as without it I would not be able to afford the accumulation of costs which go hand in hand with being a student.'

As always, we wish our Bursary student a happy and successful academic year, and a rewarding career in environmental science.

We are all uncomfortably aware of the new problems faced by those seeking university education. Many will be discouraged by the prospect of huge debts, and some current students will be tempted to abandon their studies. As our own small response we have decided to launch a second Heatherlea Bursary. This Bursary will be awarded during the academic year, and will be triggered by hardship. It will be granted to a student in Environmental Science at Lancaster who might otherwise be unable to complete studies already in progress. The recipient will be chosen directly by the University, and will not be required to communicate with or meet anyone from Heatherlea. This is only a small contribution, but will make a big difference to one person, who may in due course go on to make a big difference to our environment. 

Both Bursaries are funded directly by Heatherlea (Scotland) Ltd, so if you joined Heatherlea anywhere in the world in 2010, please read the italicised quotation above once more, because by choosing Heatherlea you helped this person and made a difference too!
 

This feed was drawn from the Heatherlea website