Old Haunts

Saturday April 27

What would the morning bring? It's the first time I've used a Robinson 150 MV trap in the Highlands, previously I've used a 30 actinic suitcase trap. There were 2 Streamers, 4 Currant Pugs, 2 Engrailed and 2 Garden Carpets on the outside of the trap, four on the white wall apart from one on the door jamb.

5 Hebrew Characters, 5 Pine Beauty, 3 Common Quaker and 1 Early Tooth Stripe were in the trap.Very similar selection to home, except that we don't get Streamer.

After a hectic three days, it was necessary to have an easier time. It was mid morning before we left for Lochindorb, via Boat of Garten Post Office for Saturday's Telegraph with the Cryptic crossword - and hot chocolate.

As we drove across the bridge at Carrbridge, I - as always - glanced at the ancient packhorse arch framing a tumbling waterfall, parallel with the road bridge. Glimpsing a medium sized bird with a lot of white showing, I called ''Goosander''. We returned for views of what indeed was a pair of Goosander, fishing amongst the turbulence of a good stream of water rushing over the rocks. Many photographs followed. Such a handsome back-drop but not easy conditions for good photography....... Never happy eh?

Spot the female

Lochindorb is a favourite destination of both birders and anglers.  The loch has a pair of breeding Black-throated Divers and Red-throated Divers. The surrounding moorland is managed for Red Grouse, their guttural calls ringing out from the heather clad hillsides. We have also seen displaying Short-eared Owls, fishing Osprey and Golden Eagle here. The loch is dominated by a ruined castle on an island.

Lochindorb Castle is located on the bleak Dava Moor south of Nairn and Forres on the way to Grantown-on-Spey and Aviemore, in the south-eastern heart of the Scottish Highlands.
It sits on a partly man-made island in this remote loch, 6.5 miles north-west of Grantown-on-Spey.
Lochindorb comes from the Gaelic meaning 'Loch of Trouble' and the castle has certainly had its fair share of that! Dating back to the 13th century, it was originally held by the Comyns, but later occupied by the English and was visited by Edward I in 1303 when he stayed here for 9 days, hunting out on the moor. Later it was used as a prison and also a garrison for English troops. At the end of the 14th century, it was gifted by Robert II to his third son, the notorious Wolf of Badenoch, Alexander Stewart, who rampaged around quite a bit of the local area. Lochindorb was said to be his favourite haunt.
When the Scottish Privy Council instructed the Thane of Cawdor to dismantle Lochindorb after it had been forfeited by the Earl of Moray in around 1455, the huge iron yett was transported to Cawdor Castle and can now be seen in the bowels of the building.
Although now in ruins, the castle was still in fairly good condition up until the end of the 18th century when its four 7-metre high round towers were intact. The main quadrangular courtyard is 48 x 38 metres in dimensions and is enclosed by a 2-metre thick wall which stands 6 metres high. A later extension to the south was made probably to give the island extra protection from assault. Apparently it was bought by the Cawdor Campbells in the 1970s. 

To-day, we saw two Black-throated Divers, 1 Red-throated, 2 Tufted Ducks and several Red Grouse . Although it wasn't raining, the clouds were a heavy grey.

Nairn is reputed to be one of the sunniest and driest places in Scotland. Well, it was dry. It's an ancient fishing port and market town around 17 miles (27 km) east of Inverness.  We parked at the harbour in order to scan the sea. A King Eider has been reported from the area this week - but not yesterday. Much scanning found a couple of dozen Eiders, at least sixty Long-tailed Ducks, several Sandwich Terns, Shags and many Gulls. It was fun looking.....

This sculpture stands at the car park entrance to mark its historic background in the fishing industry.

Reports of two White-billed Divers off Portsoy were tempting but left for another day. It would have added a three hour round trip to the day, including searching time. Later reports of one at Burghead would have broken resolution. 
Via Sainsbury's to stock up for the week, we called in at a barren Loch Flemington - two Song Thrushes, a Wheatear and a Reed Bunting in a lochside field were nice - and then Alturlie Point, a few miles along the Firth from Inverness. The tide was way out, acres of mud greeted us. A few Hooded Crows, a Rook and a Grey Heron dotted the view. A slow journey along the shore on a narrow dual carriageway (!) with passing places, stops curtailed by traffic, saw a large flock of Long-tailed Ducks, Whimbrel, 

Shag and a flock of gulls which had found a feeding upswell. No sign of any Scaup to-day.

Pam had spotted a group of Golden Plover in breeding plumage in a landside field. We stopped on the way back to view these beautiful birds, so well camouflaged in what looked like more stones than soil.

Yet again, a vehicle moved us along.
A Hooded Crow made its presence felt in the increasing gloom as we turned to leave. It rained.

Lay by 51 on the A9, south of Inverness, is well known as a site for Ring Ouzel. To-day it was full of machinery, we were stopped by a long queue at traffic lights, giving plenty of time to view the hillside crags. Men were working on the mountainside  doing I know not what. Despite that, the song of a Ring Ouzel rang out. What luck.

What will to-morrow bring.