Visit your favourite destinations

Scotland- 3^rd to 11^th January 2002,

Sites visited

Caerlaverock WWT - Dumfries and Galloway: 3^rd,4^th & 5^th
Plenty of Barnacle Geese and Whooper Swans, also Peregrine and Barn Owl. Stayed at the farm on the reserve which allows early morning access and has a viewing room for watching Badgers at night, good value.

Mersehead RSPB - Dumfries and Galloway: 4^th
Very good for finches and Barnacle Geese. Short-eared Owl also.

Loch Ryan - Dumfries and Galloway: 5^th
Large numbers of Scaup from south side of loch - high tide for close views. Black Guillemot from picnic site just north of Cairn Ryan.

Ardeer Golfcourse nr Stevenston - Strathclyde: 5^th
A quick stop on route to Skye for the long staying Snowy Egret.

Isle of Skye - Highland: 5^th,6^th and 7^th
A total of 6 Golden Eagles during our 2 day stay, all on the east side of the Island. 4 1^st winter Iceland Gulls were a surprise in Portree Harbour on 6^th. Black Guillemot and Great Northern Diver gave good views on Loch Harport. No White-tailed Eagles though.

Abernethy Forest - Highland: 8^th
Limited access due to Icy roads but did have Crested Tit.

Findhorn and Burghead Bays - Grampian: 9^th
Large numbers of Long-tailed Duck and small numbers of Velvet Scoter were the highlights. A raft of c1,000 Long-tailed Duck was a spectacular sight near the mouth of Findhorn bay.

Lossiemouth - Grampian: 9^th
A flock of 60 Snow Buntings gave good views in the dunes east of the river. No sign of the Iceland Gulls though.

Hopeman, Banff, Macduff, Fraserburgh and Peterhead Harbours - Grampian: 9^th
Despite hours of searching we didn't find a single Iceland or Glaucous Gull!!!! Though good numbers of Purple Sandpiper, Long-tailed Duck, Eider and Goldeneye were had.

Loch of Strathbeg RSPB - Grampian: 10^th
Lots of Pink-footed Geese but little else of note.

Largo Bay - Fife: 11^th
Superb views of 3 drake Surf Scoter off Ruddon's point (access through Shell bay caravan park east of Elie). Also lots of Velvet Scoter, Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Slavonian Grebes and 2 Red-necked Grebes.

Species List

Red-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Little Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Gannet
Cormorant
Shag
Snowy Egret
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Pink-footed Goose
Greylag Goose
Canada Goose
Barnacle Goose
Shelduck
Wigeon
Teal
Mallard
Pintail
Shoveler
Pochard
Tufted Duck
Scaup
Eider
Long-tailed Duck
Common Scoter
Surf Scoter
Velvet Scoter
Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Goosander
Red Kite
Sparrowhawk
Buzzard
Golden Eagle
Kestrel
Peregrine
Pheasant
Water Rail
Moorhen
Coot
Oystercatcher
Ringed Plover
Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Lapwing
Knot
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Dunlin
Snipe
Bar-tailed Godwit
Curlew
Redshank
Turnstone
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Kittiwake
Guillemot
Razorbill
Black Guillemot
Rock Dove
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Barn Owl
Short-eared Owl
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Rock Pipit
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Dipper
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Fieldfare
Song Thrush
Redwing
Mistle Thrush
Goldcrest
Long-tailed Tit
Crested Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Treecreeper
Magpie
Jackdaw
Rook
Carrion/Hooded Crow
Raven
Starling
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Siskin
Linnet
Twite
Lesser Redpoll
Mealy Redpoll
Crossbill sp.
Bullfinch
Snow Bunting
Yellowhammer
Reed Bunting

Where to Watch Birds in Scotland Mike Madders: Buy from Amazon.co.uk Scotland has my favourite birding in the whole of the UK. This book, now updated, contains more than 140 key sites and numerous additional sites accompanied by maps and line drawings. It concludes with an up-to-date list of local birds Recorders and reports, useful addresses and a code of conduct for birdwatchers. The guide has become indispensable for anyone birdwatching in Scotland.

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