Sat 21st March
Finish packing bags and loading the campervan (never ever been this last minute before…) Still found time to spot a pug under my front door step which turned out to be a Double-striped – a good start to the holiday!
Start driving to Nethy Bridge ……… collecting mum-in-law and feeding the birds at the caravan big bird table and loo and brew stops …. I thought I would never get there ……… 370 miles later arrive at long last and unload into very nice surroundings …… and almost immediately laid claim to the bath (only have fancy shower cubicle at home – miss a bath – can’t resist when I find myself in the vicinity of one!!)
Sun 22nd
A drive around Abernethy: set up peanut holders and fat candles on the car park at Loch Garten, then down to Coylum Bridge and up Glenmore to the Ski Centre car park where a handful of skittish snow bunting took off for distant horizons……. On the way back a scan over Loch Morlich found a few goldeneye and two red-throated divers – very distant far side of loch. Back to sumptuous lodge and out with the moth trap – first time for the trap as there was never room for it when it was just us two staying in the camper, so saying the magic incantation ……Kentish Glory, Kentish Glory, Kentish Glory…… out on the patio in front of the French doors it went……….
Mon 23rd
Up at 6am coat over nightie and out (Brrrrrr) around 10 or so Yellow Horned moths were mostly sat on the wall near the trap…….. mmmm very nice but not what I really wanted ………. Still it’s a start. Decided I was jiggered from the journey and the huge stresses of the two weeks leading up to the hol when I resigned at work, got carers organised for mam despite her objections and sev other life changing happenings ……… so no surprise that I felt flat! With that I saw Ian and his mum off out while I watched 3 red squirrels, 2 great spotted woodpecker and a pair of yellowhammer coming to the feeders in the little rough garden which backs onto Abernethy Forest.
Tue 24th
Found me back in the drivers seat and off to Lochindorb but no divers to be seen…….. the weather was appalling – vile strong winds and hail showers not nice at all and the loch was choppy enough to look like the sea!. Sum total was a pair of Stonechat, a redshank and a few oystercatchers, curlew and buzzard. A side diversion to show Sheila Dulcie Bridge found a dipper on the rocks below. In the evening we were booked for yet another trip to Speyside Wildlifes mammal-watching hide. Last year we ‘dipped out’ twice! After an hour and half of dark nothing I was beginning to think it would be third time unlucky when a badger bounced into view on one of the cameras and within seconds had arrived and was scoffing peanuts! Eventually the thing we were really waiting for hove in view – the pine martin and we had entrancing views of it just 18 inches the other side of the glass windows! Fantastic! On the walk up to the hide in daylight I was quite impressed to see two woodcocks ‘roding’ back and forth and of course the ever present red deer herds just visable in the gloaming……..
Wed 25th
We set off for the Findhorn Valley. Weather had brightened but still windy as all heck! A large bird of prey sailed over the hills and disappeared at speed – by pale colour and v-shaped wings I was pretty sure this was an osprey. Near the bottom end Sheila suddenly shouted from the back that we had just driven past a ‘white rabbit’ ……… the brakes went on (never travel close behind me!) and half an hour later we had driven up to it and photographed it and driven away twice to let the ‘posty bus’ and a land rover pass and sallied back up to it and all the while it remained stoically sitting, occasionally giving us a leery eye but otherwise disinterested. At first I thought it had been hit by a car cos of its proximity to the road – but it moved its legs ok so obviously it just wanted to sunbathe and dry out after the nightmarish heavy showers.
A check was made of the food holders and fat candles on the car park at Loch Garten which had attracted a ‘pack’ of chaffinch, a pair of siskin and plenty coal tits but no cresties.
We stopped to watch a sparrowhawk chase a buzzard out of sight on the way back. A sparrowhawk had zipped thro the garden beside the lodge in the morning and scattered ‘our’ chaffinch like confetti but didn’t get a meal.
Thurs 26th
Weather ‘orrible. Gales, frequent heavy very squally showers and very cold so the cameras were left behind and a walk to Loch Mallachie was undertaken. I heard crossbills overhead, found False Morel, Gyromitra esculenta and a battered pair of goldeneye on the loch.
Fri 27th
Rain, cold and more rain – a very nasty day. We drove up Glen Feshie for want of anything better and I got out at the far end to photograph some lichens on a gate while Ian tried to keep the umbrella up over me in a storm-force 7 ………… Spotted some bright red moss patches in some of the open moorland bits beside the road – tried to photograph them without success – the camera would not focus but at least I indentified it as Pohlia nutans…..
Sat 28th
Awoke to SNOW! Got busy with camera thro double glazed windows, then tried opening a window and finally had a spell out in the mobile pop-up hide which had been erected and left outside the day after we arrived. Later on in the day we went to Loch Garten and watched our feeders and still no cresties. From there we returned to the ski centre car park on Cairngorm. Ian chased a few snow buntings about (which despite good sunflower seed were preferring to eat bread!) I spent most of the day taking snowy views. It snowed furiously while I was taking pics at Loch Morlich and a poor dipper was trying to find food in the river at this point. Then the sun came out and lit the landscape while we were half way up ‘The Big Hill’ and on the way down I spent time bobbing in and out of the camper at various points capturing the sunset.
Sun 29th
A good run out to Inverness, Beauly Firth, the Black Isle and Channonry Point. Zipping along the A9 I passed two road casualties together, one we thought was a badger, the other I couldn’t tell and the more I thought about it the more my mind whispered it was something unusual. Ian thought I had gone mad when at least 3 if not 4 miles down the road I found my first chance to turn around and go back. We passed the bodies but still could not make out properly what they were, so Ian was dropped off to walk back while I parked just off the busy road. I gave him 10 mins and then went to pick him up and a very surprised Ian got back in and said ‘otters – both of them’….. Which is what half my mind had said and the other half said don’t be daft there’s no proper water for miles. I’ve been told before that otters do wander away from water and never quite believed it but now here was the proof. I’m glad I doubled back despite the distance as it settled my mind plus there was not a sign of either body on the return journey in the evening – they had been completely removed by someone………
We had the enjoyment of watching very distantly two live otters playing together on the far side of Beauly Firth. Two crows entertained us by begging for scraps and being very tame for Scottish crows!
A long-ish sit at Channonry – our third visit over the years – again didn’t produce any dolphin – no surprises there then…….. but a male long-tailed duck flying past the point was a bonus.
Mon 29th
The ‘biggie’ – an attempt at the long run around to Glen Shee and Braemar came to a sudden halt at Tomintoul when the portent of a squealing fan belt and red battery indicator light lit came to fruition in a flat battery ……… It turned out that we were observed thro binocs by a lady from her conservatory window a good 500 yards away, with the bonnet up, then Ian trying to push the camper on a stretch – that for Scotland – was as flat as a pancake……. Where are the hills when you need one?! She shouted her husband and son who jumped into their range rover and belted round to us with a cheery ‘Need any help mate’ and help they did – sleeves went up and and arms went into our filthy engine – the loose fan belt was tightened and a jump start given and hey presto we were back in business. It turned out they are part of Cotag 4x4 response team - that’s Community Off-road Action Group which provides support for the emergency services and also idiots like us! They wouldn’t take money for a pint so my thanks and a donation has gone to their website since I got home. We continued on our way until somewhere near Lecht I stalled turning round in a tight spot to go back and photograph a curlew and the red light was back on the dash ……….. So it was of back to the lodge without stopping or looking at any other living thing ……. Miserable. The garage at Grantown fitted us in for a look at 3pm and just as I suspected diagnosed a dead alternator. They kept the camper, Ian walked six miles back to the lodge and next morning they had received an alternator, fitted it, Ian went back (on the bus!) and was back at the lodge at 12.15 with a healthy campervan! You couldn’t get that kind of service here at home………
Due to the day being partly written off the moth trap went out again esp as it was now mild 8 or 9 degrees overnight and the snow gone at lower levels….
Tue 30th
Out to the trap at 6am for a big delightful surprise – not one but two Rannock Sprawlers sitting in the egg boxes – oh boy Red Data Book and all that! Along with them were about 6 Yellow Horned, 5 Hebrew Characters, 6 Clouded Drabs (had me puzzled for ages as I had all the forms light and dark and inbetween!) 2 Mottled Greys. Quite a catch!
Tue 31st
Another run up the Findhorn Valley didn’t bring any eagles, only buzzard, grey wag, red deer, sika deer, feral goats and kids, brown hares, curlew, lapwing, oystercatcher and a raven.
The only other thing of note was a bat flying past the lodge at 8.30pm.
Wed 1st Apr
We set off for Tomintoul, Glen Shee, Braemar and Royal Deeside without a hitch this time! All the usual and expected species were seen and some we photographed: brown hares, oystercatcher curlew, pied wag, wheatear, buzzard, red grouse, fieldfare, mistle thrush a trip of golden plover and a woodcock.
Parking on the car park at Glen Shee saw the snow line a lot higher even than last year despite the recent heavy fall it seemed to have thawed very quickly. A look on the Carnwell hillside showed a few ‘white bunnies’ trying to sit out of the wind and deteriorating weather conditions. Ian kitted up and began the climb while Sheila and myself sat down with a brew……….. We watched as he went up, down, across, back and up again and at one point thro the scope I thought he was having a heart attack and began wondering just how I would direct the emergency services to a man in camo collapsed in the heather ……About 15 ‘white bunnies’ darted about the hillside (faster and easier than my husband – and always well in front of him I noticed – tho I did watch one double back behind him and tuck itself away to the point where Ian missed it – crafty!) He got some lovely pics tho in the end.
Back down at ground level he made a brew while I still scanned the skyline and low and behold found two ptarmigan near the top coming out from under the chair lift pylons …….. Ian said it was my turn now to ‘nip up’ and photograph them ……… needless to say I passed on this offer…….
We continued on into Royal Deeside to show Sheila the gates of Balmoral and whilst out photographing the river a little further on I spotted a pale moth flying and landing on the back of a birch tree just over the fence. Convinced I was missing something interesting I followed it over and after staring at the trunk I found it – another new species for me – an Early-tooth Sptriped!
When we got back the moth trap went back out on the patio for the night despite clear skies and a quarter moon it was very still with the temp dropping. The mornings haul brought two more of another new species for me – Brindled Beauties – and they are – together with a pine beauty, 1 early grey, 2 clouded drabs, 2 com quakers and sev each of yellow horned and Hebrew Characters.
Thurs 2nd
Several visits to Loch Garten as EJ the Osprey had gone fishing apparently and you know how time flies when you go fishing! I returned to the car park and sat waiting for cresties that never showed while Ian and Sheila went back to see EJ and came up with the bonus ball – the male capercaillie was wandering about under the osprey nesting tree – some folk have all the luck! A noisy party of sand martins flew over the car park while I waited watching the peanut holders.
Fri 3rd
Back to Beauly Firth and Channonry Point. The weather had dawned blue, calm, very warm, gorgeous – spring had sprung! Not a breath of air moved till the tide began coming in and by this time it was too late as I was sat on the beach at the point, determined to hold my spot until it went dark if necessary! A wicked sea breeze got up and the temperature dropped – the sun stayed out but it was winter again! Finally Ian had to get Sheila back to the camper for a warm and I said bring my coat when you come back. We had been sat there almost 4 hours by this time and the minute the pair of them disappeared a chap tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘Here they come’ and pointed to two fins ………. I was ecstatic – I couldn’t believe my eyes! Ian came back 10 mins later with my coat then broke into a run (on shingle?!) to go back and get his camera. From that point on for two hours I followed every twist and turn of those fins but not once did they jump out of the water for us.
Never mind – there’s always next year …………. and tho I would not have believed it beforehand - still no cresties ....... I suspect losses even tho this little bird is hardy and used to living in this harsh environment ........
Sat 4th
Pack, clean up and drive back – this time without all the stops ……….. Home Pauline and don't spare the VW ...........
Cairngorms March 2009 
. It's inspiring me to get my act together and try something similar! 
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