June 2020 I purchased a small caravan to help with the covid restrictions in place at that time to enable a comfortable and stress free means of accommodation. Having had a few trips away during 2020 I decided to embark on an adventure north.
Thursday 6th May I left home with the caravan and drove 350 miles north arriving at my first stop for the night at the caravan club site Englethwaite Hall near Carlisle.
A walk around the campsite late in the afternoon found a couple of Common Redstarts, then in the evening I went to the near by river and found some Gooseanders.
The following morning I went to visit Hadrian's Wall, with all the visitor centers still closed I took the road along side and had some fantastic views, the first time I have been there.
With a report of a Red-necked Phalarope in Northumberland only 20 miles away I continued east to Grindon Lough where after a bit of searching I eventually found it although a long way away.
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| Grindon Lough |
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| Red-necked Phalarope (female) |
Saturday 8th May, an early start and a drive of 330 miles to the Isle of Skye staying at the Camping and Caravan club site - a lovely site overlooking Loch Greshornish
Once set up I took a walk along the shore finding Wheatear.
A good year tick was this real Hooded Crow.
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| Hooded Crow |
Monday 10th, the campsite wont allow you to leave till after 7am but I was waiting for the barrier to open at that time to head the 20 miles round to Uig for the ferry. Arriving with plenty of time I was able to have a wander around before departing at 09.30.
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| Ferry to Lochmaddy |
Departing on time I stayed on the rear deck, seeing Black Guillemot, Puffins, a pod of Dolphins and the more usual seabirds as we left the harbour. Talking to some birders on deck who were going to stay at the same campsite on Uist turned out to be good friends of Bob Hastings - Brian and Graham from Cumbria.
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| Brian and Graham |
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| Two of a pod of Dolphins |
Arriving at Lochmaddy at 11.15, I arrived at the Balranald campsite around 12, getting set up and then lunch I headed to the beach around 2pm finding a variety of birds
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| Balranald Bay |
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| Beach next to campsite |
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| Great Northern Diver |
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| Twite |
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| Whooper Swan |
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| Mixed Flock of Waders |
Tuesday 11th, I spent most of the day wandering around locally looking for Corncrakes, but despite hearing them couldnt see any. But found a Ruff, twitched a distant Glaucous Gull then spent more time at the beach.
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| Ruff |
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| Eider |
Wednesday 12th, Another day looking for Corncrakes, feeling a little desperate, Graham told me of where he had seen one the day before so I headed about 2 miles east of the campsite. Parking up I could hear one near and eventually it showed.
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| Corncrake |
In the afternoon took a drive around finding another lovely beach.
On the way back to the campsite saw a couple of Short-eared Owls photo taken through the windscreen as had trouble finding somewhere to pull over.
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| Short-eared Owl through the window |
The next couple of days spent driving around the islands birding seeing both Golden and White-tailed Eagles, waders, gulls and geese and more fabulous scenery.
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| Barnacle Goose |
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| Short-eared Owl |
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| Skylark |
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| Purple Sandpiper |
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| White-tailed Eagle |
Saturday 15th a very early start to be back at Lochmaddy for 6.30 check in for the ferry arriving back at Uig at 9.15 and the 130 mile trip to Grantown on Spey for 3 nights. Arriving at lunch time I set for Loch Garten to see Osprey and Crested Tit only to find the Ospreys nest had failed and they had moved on a couple of days earlier and there were no Crested Tits calling. But as consolation I stopped at Nethy Bridge on the way back and found a Dipper.
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| Dipper |
Sunday 16th, Once again I couldnt get out of the campsite until 7am and headed to Dorbach Lodge for the Black Grouse lek, on arriving I put the scope up and immediately there was one in view but distant.
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| Through the scope a phone pic Black Grouse |
I then headed up to Lochindorb to look for the breeding Black-throated Divers, being a Sunday it was busy with Canoes, paddler borders and anglers and I couldnt find any. A drive around the moors found some Red Grouse and a breeding colony of Common Gulls.
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| Moorland Red Grouse |
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| Red Grouse |
In the afternoon I went back to Loch Garten to look for Crested Tits but dipped again
Monday 17th the forecast was for more rain so I headed to the coast, stopping at Lochindorb to look for Black-throated Divers again, after an hour of looking suddenly 2 popped up from know where. Within a minute they dived and despite looking for another half hour I never saw them again.
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| Black-throated Diver |
At the coast the sun was out but not a great deal of birds on the sea.
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| Up at the coast |
I drove round to Nairn, where I saw several photographers standing around, then to my surprise an Osprey appeared and fished in the channel for 10 minutes
