Pauline & Ian's Cairngorms March 2010

[PMG]

Wed/Thurs 24/25th Feb
Television news in the morning still chirping on with ‘snow stories’ from around the country – England more or less blanketed with the stuff (and I’m beginning to think this hol so early is perhaps not such a good idea?) Then at dinner time I spot a few seconds filming on the A9 at Perth – blocked due to snow and accidents. From this point on I spent a large amount of time on the BBC Scotland Travel website tracing the increasing horror that was the A9 which finished up blocked in four places near Perth: accidents, power cables down – thousands without heating and lighting as a result. More closures came higher up at other well known spots and I began to realise there was no trying to go round – if this was the major route what were the minor one’s like?

Frid 26th Watched the travel website at intervals thro the day and a major part of the main daytime television news was featuring the amount of snow in Scotland ……….. and how many folks were trapped on the A9 …….. Sometime late afternoon the power lines were cleared off the road and snow ploughs cleared a path to the next obstruction and presumably everyone settled to wait again ……. Finally by evening the news was the A9 was clear of blockages along its length but only passable with care …….. and the decision to travel was put back to Sunday.

Sat 27th All packed up and nowhere to go …….

Sun 28th We’re off at last! Packed to the gunwales – Sheila my mother-in-law was so packed in she couldn’t move a muscle! Yes there was snow on the way up – it looked very pretty – but when we got into the Cairngorms – there was SNOW! A great abundance of it ……… the major routes were as predicted – clear with care – which didn’t stop the lunatics flying along and tucking under my rear bumper tho – and I couldn’t do what the signs say and pull in to let folks pass – no parking places were visable – just blue P signs sticking out big snow banks! Potentially that could have been a problem if you were getting tired and wanted to stop for a spell – there was no-where – you had to keep driving. The wildlife of interest on the way up was the number of buzzards – we lost count but a guess would be two dozen at least!

[PMG]

Mon 1st Mar
First stop Loch Garten car park to hang a feeder up – we just about navigated the severely narrowed roads hemmed in by embankments of deep snow! Arriving at the car park we found we couldn’t drive on – snow was 2ft deep – Ian went ‘over the wellies’ while hanging the feeder! Next it was off to the Cairngorm Ski Centre – the road was two-way all the way up – the guy with the snow plough was slowly – very slowly reopening the one-way section – he was cutting through drifts that dwarfed his truck. Much later in the fortnight we stopped for a quick photo of the drifts beside our camper – they must have been 10-15ft high as the camper is 9ft 3ins! And when you add in the drop off into the gulley which I know is at the side of the road you’re in the region of 20ft deep ……….. The car park was predictably almost full with skiers and the mountain railway was closed: from the bottom overspill car park we couldn’t see the railway but a couple of days later we watched a team of folks digging its rails out of the snow – one gang from the top down and one from the bottom up sand they were within 30 yards of meeting and finishing the job! We scattered some sunflower seed and a little gang of snow bunting finally appeared. With few places we could get to we were back at the cottage well before teatime.

At 9.20pm having decided on an early night Ian was peeking out of the bedroom curtains just as I was coming from the bathroom I heard him say ‘There’s a pine martin in the garden’ ……. ‘WHAT?’ We crept into the living room and sure enough it had arrived at the squirrels peanuts laid out on the patio steps – it was right in front of the double doors ……… Needless to say no pics and a very sleepless night followed – in fact sleepless became the norm as the fortnight rolled on and had I known how the holiday was going to end I wouldn’t have bothered sleeping at all – but that’s later in this tale!

Tues 2nd
Off to South Kessock on the outskirts of Inverness where there was hardly any snow, a buzzard flew low over the car park, a red kite flew over the marina and a couple of rock pipits buzzed about – one almost certainly the Scandinavian race sps. Littorales - well marked birds with prominent eye stripes and very streaky breasts.

Later we met up with Marcus a friend from Yorkshire who has moved to Inverness – lucky man! He showed us fabulous pics on his camera monitor of a female otter and two kits taken only a couple of days prior in the river right in the middle of Inverness! We got our gear as Marcus went back to work and we went to stand on the bridge in the appointed spot for a couple of hours. Its possibly to date the weirdest place I have tried to do any nature photography – its right on a junction with traffic lights (which subsequently provided an accident as two cars collided and I wondered how much was caused by one of the drivers looking at us dressed in camo – well Ian and me were dressed in camo but Sheila looked normal!) A variety of local folks spoke to us – some were sensible and some were not ……. One young bloke who didn’t seem sober doesn’t know how close he came to being chucked in …… he kept weaving around me and going on about my extremist dress code! A male merganser, a hooded crow and a seal were the only things to be seen – not a lotta otters – in fact just our luck - no otters at all …….

[PMG]

The martin appeared during the evening and ate some more peanuts – we had rushed into Tescos and bought jam and peanut butter but that lovely ‘peanut jelly’ sandwich on scrumptious tiger bread was sniffed at and rejected (obviously this martin has not read the books about how much martins love jam and peanut butter?!) It was still a puzzlement as how to obtain a photo? Thro glass? Not enough light? Send Sheila to bed and sit with the patio doors open all evening – in -18 temps – no possibly not! Same with the pop-up hide – risk putting the martin off by erecting it outside and risk hypothermia by sitting out ourselves for hours in it. And crucially how too get the martin away from the patio doors and into a more open spot for photography – these problems became the theme for the fortnight and nearly caused me a nervous breakdown. Its unbelievably frustrating to have something incredibly good in front of you and not be able to get a shot …..

Wed 3rd
The bird table, feeders and fat in the garden was attracting an increasing crowd of chaffinch, plus two female and a male siskin as well as three red squirrels. But it was off out after breckie - back round the check Loch Garten car park feeder – this time we could drive in very carefully in a small cleared track but had to reverse out as this clearing was only to where some chaps were working in a new substation. Blue, coal and great tits plus chaffinch were using the feeder and a tree creeper appeared nearby.

A pair of goosander was spotted on the River Spey at Boat of Garten and after a few snow and ice pics of the river it was off back up to the extremely busy ski centre where we counted a flock of about 12 snow bunting and 24 red grouse.

The pine martin photography quandary raged again in the evening but at least we had now got the light situation sussed – Ian hung the top part of the moth trap over the garden seat so that it lit the main area of the garden ….. I watched in agony as a moth flew around it and landed on the wall – course I couldn’t go out and check up on it for fear off meeting and scaring the martin – needless to say the moth had gone by morning ………. The martin appeared at 7.30pm and ate tucked up against the patio windows – right in the shadows – I have two pics – from this – one with just a humped back and the other with a humped back and two ears – and both pics are blurred!! Sheila had gone to bed and we were just on the points of going when I joked with Ian and laid down stretched out on the rug in front of the patio doors and said ‘I’ll show you how to attract it’ and struck a provocative pose ……. And its head appeared at the window – you couldn’t make it up! Of course I now got cramp for several mins not able to move for fear of frightening it – my face was a scant 15 inches from its face – I could count its eyelashes!! We thought these were two visits from the same martin – later on we found out there were two martins – and not a friendly pair either!

[PMG]

Thur 4th
We set off for the coast again where there was less snow and we could park up and actually birdwatch instead of me having to drive all the time …….. We rolled up at Channonry Point on the Black Isle to meet up with Earthdragon and hubby and also in time for the high tide and were rewarded with a grand chat and about a dozen dolphin, which wasted no time in buzzing off out to sea! We continued up the coast of the Beauly Firth while ‘the earthdragons’ went home for a slap-up 22nd wedding anniversary meal – we wished them well (with a tinge of envy re the superb sounding quality of that meal!!) The highlight of the day for us was three red kites over Avoch – which I’m reliably told is pronounced ‘Och’!!

There was no pine martin sighting this evening – probably we came back too late – after dark and it had already been – tho interestingly in the morning we saw the clear plastic front had been torn right off the ‘squirrel feeder’ …… ?

Fri 5th
We saw two roe deer near Coylum Bridge ……. Checked the feeders at Loch an Eileen and found all usual ‘tits’ plus one ‘crestie’!! Plus I thought I saw a woodcock drop into the stream banking but Ian failed to find anything despite staring in at the spot – all that camo woodcock ‘wear’ does work! We parked on Loch Garten car park again but very little happening ……… and no mention of pine martin in my diasry for this date ………..

Sat 6th
A Yellowhammer arrived on our feeders around the cottage and everything sprang into action with a visit from a sparrowhawk ….. it missed its breckie and then perched on one of the fence posts surrounding the garden – Ian had seen and reacted but by the time he had the camera in place on the tripod it decided to leave …….. Ian has an interestingly blurred but very recognisable pic of the sparrowhawks’ legs just jumping off the post!

We spent several hours on the car park at Loch an Eilean while I photographed the crestie: I had weighed up the day before just how it kept coming to the feeder from the same direction more or less and I liked how natural it looked in the fresh growing pine needles. It took quite a while as being a ~~Saturday folk kept coming onto the car park and the chappie (and his gorgeous huge collie dog called Harvey!) were bobbing in and out of his hut to charge folks but eventually I got a shot I liked and we could go and thaw out Sheila!! A treecreepeer investigated one of the fence posts so close I could have touched it but it kept to the back of the post and denied any photo opportunity!



The pine martin came at 4.13am ……… I have a knack – I don’t know how many times I do stay asleep and miss things – probably a lot – but I do have a way of waking up just as something is due – badgers usually – but my knack didn’t desert me with the martin – I got up and looked out of the bedroom window just as the martin was coming down the banking! I sidled into the living room and watched it feed …….. again with the growing conviction I was not going to get any shots at all.

[PMG]

Sunday 7th
Time was moving on but we were still unable to get anywhere much. We decided to check a very minor road to a parking spot we have used in previous years to watch and Ian to photograph black grouse. I got part way along then had to turn and drive down to a farm and turn in their yard: it would have been asking for trouble to drive on into the water, slush and ice that was covering yards of the route we wanted to go along.

The martin came at 3.15am – once again I got up just in time to see it – but unfortunately it saw me – my long pale nightie must have shown thro the glass doors as obvious as a big flag – the martin turned tail and fled – so its not a case of ‘stoppit you’ll frighten the horses – more you’ll frighten the martins’!

Mon 8th
Knowing there was a high tide and little or no snow at the coast we went to investigate ‘the other way along the Moray Firth’ to a spot Marcus told us was good for waders and sea duck at Artlurie Point. By the time the water came up to the banking there were 60+ scaup out there – I was hoping the tide would ‘bring them in’ as it does at The Spinnies in Wales – but no they managed to keep equidistant from the shore the whole time …….. a marvellous sight tho! There was a lot of a very big favourite of mine – long tailed ducks – we very rarely get them in the northwest. There was the usual supporting cast of waders and wigeon, rock and meadow pipits.

The martin came at 9pm-ish with the telly on quite loud. We had ‘acquired’ a small cut tree bole and put peanuts on it …… martin ignored. Also struggled back with as very photogenic v-shaped branch with a hole just right for peanuts and peanut butter – which the martin looked at – I have a blurred back view which looks all the world like a glove puppet – which Ian insisted on referring to as ‘It’s a PUP-ah-ET’ in the Brian Connolly style of ‘it’s a puppay’ …..

[PMG]

Tue 9th
Make or break time and we have had text from Gracie saying the Tomintoul road is now open to Lecht and Glen Shee. We could have gone back down the A9 and up to Braemar to Glen Shee – but preferred to wait for the circular route to become possible – so today was D-day. It was an interesting long and tiring drive needing extreme care but the weather was blue and gorgeous – behind glass! A stop for quite some time at one spot produced quite a few mountain hares – or as we call them ‘white rabbits’! I had clocked several grouse through the scope and was just pondering on how different 3 of them looked when a blackcock appeared from behind a tuft – all at a goodish distance – but I know a black grouse when I see one! The three females were his mates with the matching white shoulder spot clearly visible even at that range! Plus their ‘jizz’ is very ‘sophisticated’ slim and streamlined – not frumpy and dumpy like red grouse! He came in full view 10 mins later and even ‘shook his booty’ at them but none of the three took him on! If I had been asked to identify a spot for black grouse (I’m not saying it was a lekk but?) this would have been the last place on earth I would have nominated – so never say never – and don’t always look askance when someone makes what sounds like a daft or novice suggestion – cos the birds – along with the martin haven’t read the books!! And talking of martins – we didn’t see it – we were back far too late and I was far too tired to stay awake – or wake up if it had been banging on the windows ………



Wed 10th
Goodness knows what we did on this day – there is nothing in my diary – If memory serves I was getting really despondent about not getting pics of the martin …….. I think we just sat about enjoying the warm sunshine of an incredibly lovely day.
Then in the evening I was gazing out when a martin dashed along the banking left to right – and hot on its heels was another martin!.Two?! I went into agonies – two and I can’t get a pic ……… the next morning I went to look at the footprints cos I could see a spot of colour which turned out to be blood. I thought it may have been a male chasing an in-season female but a text or two with The Woodman affirmed that they are like badgers – mate in the autumn with delayed implantation till spring – so what I thought was oestrus was more likely a cut or bitten foot as these would be two males and a heavy ‘discussion’ as to whose territory these peanuts were on …..

Thurs 11th
Headed for the coast yet again and another big long run, this time to Findhorn Bay which, for some reason we haven’t visited during previous year’s hols. I liked the look of it and can well imagine it being a prime spot for fishing ospreys during the breeding season. At least 200 pintail were busily displaying and I hoped once again as the tide came in that they would be drawn closer – but again I was denied ……….. The weather had broken and it was grey, very windy and just un pleasant – we had managed 12 days of sunshine ……. And very few photos ……. If only the old camper had 4x4 capability ……… oh if wishes were horses Pauline would have 4-wheel drive! We investigated the harbour at Burghead and finished at Lossiemouth being determined now to get back before dark and spend all night if needed – the last opportunity to get this martin on camera …………….

Tea was thrown together and ‘golloped’ down before I retreated to the fully open bedroom window, door shut, room in darkness – camera and 500 lens on bean bag resting on the windowsill, chair turned around and sat on cow-boy style with coat on and hood up ……… I did quite a few test pics for the flash mainly and settled down to drowse ……… at 9.21pm I lifted my head – it had been drifting to the back of the chair – only to see the martin already in the garden, coming down the banking ……. Oh no-oooooo ……. I was pre-focussed on a pile of peanuts in the middle of the space not far from the moth trap light (and no peanuts on the patio) but instead it shinned up the bird table pole and ducked under the table roof! I took my courage – heart in my mouth and fired off a shot (its head was behind the corner leg of the roof) after a second or two I fired another and another (both face hidden)….. it ignored both the flash and shutter noise so I fired again and this time got its face and this time it reacted and reached far out to the right as tho leaving …… and I missed it ……… but it ducked back for a few more mouthfuls and at this point I knew the next shot had to be ‘the one’ or it was all over …… I focussed on the right of the table and waited looking thro the viewfinder – when its head and neck reached out a second time I got it, just before it slid like a snake back down the pole to gallop up the banking and off into the forest. With shaking hand I ‘chimped’ back thro my shots and began grinning like a loon – it was all over and I had got it - eleven days after that first night …………

[PMG]

Fri 12th
Last chance today for decent crestie shots so we were up ready and waiting for Marcus to arrive and go off out for a day of un-interrupted photography leaving Sheila warm and cosy in the cottage! We checked our feeder at Loch Garten and still the cresties had not seemed to find it – good job we weren’t relying on that. Marcus had new information about a private baited area which had 5 cresties visiting! It took just over an hour and a half to set up a lovely lichen covered small branch – which the cresties accepted easily and 90 mins or so later I thought I might have a couple of very decent shots. We returned the site to its original set up and moved off – it was beginning to sleet and snow yet again and very un-pleasant. We went back up to the ski centre car park where it was a white-out blizzard ……. The lads got out and went after snow bunting and Marcus got some lovely atmospheric shots – Ian left his gear in the dry! I also stayed in the dry! We finished up back at Loch Garten but it was very quiet. All in all a satisfying photographic day which went some way to undoing the frustration of all the other days ………





Tired and needing an early night ready for the early start and long journey home we went to bed at 10.30pm with no sign of the pine martin ……. That last sight of him the night before appearing in the viewfinder with his neck outstretched still burned on my retina ……….

Sat 13th
We were up at 6am, packed, showered and ready to leave, some hoovering and tidying done and the first load of washing in the machine to help the cleaner on her way. But we still had the money to pay to Hamish who was delayed with a difficult calving – good job we’re honest – we could have skipped with the money – not likely tho being a) honest and b) wanting to rebook for next year – we hung around! It should have occurred to me that it was the 13th at that point …….. I was anxious to get going as I had dreamt before coming away that we were going to crash – smash thro a snow bank and fall down a long drop ……… and the fear that this dream was more than a premonition was haunting me ……. Finally Hamish comes ambling up – a big cheery amiable chap with sparkly blue eyes, his wellies mucky and his jumper full of bits of straw! We had a chat and paid and then it was out to the camper waving bye bye and shouting ‘see you next year’ I fired the engine and depressed the clutch and found the clutch had ‘gone’ ……… With a sinking feeling I reached for my phone and my AA card number …… to cut a long story short – it was 25 to 11am when I phoned for assistance and we reached home at 10.15pm via Edinburgh Kinross services to Lancaster Forton Services to our front door!! Not quite 12 hours which I thought very reasonable seeing how it takes me 7 hours to drive without stopping and we had been on and off three recovery vehicles and three drivers – three cheers for the AA – hip hip ……………..



Well that was over a fortnight ago and the camper has been repaired – it was the master cylinder not the actual clutch, plus the bottom steering column race had cracked and let all the ball bearings out ……… a total cost of just under £600 ………… remind me not to book to return from holiday on the 13th of any month ever again ………. Roll on next year!

Pauline

PS As I've said before pics are on our zenfolio website - it would take 3 or 4 days at 5 per 24 hours to upload everything to wab so a quick click onto my link at the bottom of here and go to same title to see just how few photos I got this year .............

[Ann2]

We missed each other by about a week. There wasn't quite so much snow when we were there but we also did the "photograph the camper by the snow drift" thing.
You do seem to have an endless amount of patience and you were certainly rewarded with that fantastic pic of the pine marten.

Ann

[sunnydale]

An excellent report Pauline. I'm so pleased you got your shot of the Pine Martin in the end. Patience and determination like that deserve to be rewarded!

Tracey

[Tracey.A]

Hi Pauline, loved reading about your adventures. Fascinating read, miixed with humour in spite of scarey roads. Your poor mother in law ensconsed in the pack of camper van amongst lots of bags, she looks like a great character

Your photos of the Crested tit and the Pine marten are just beautiful! I bet your heart was thudding when you took the pics of the Pine marten. Your photography is amazing!

In spite of the weather being so horrible, you've taken some lovely memories with you and some stunning wildlife shots.

Glad the camper van is all repaired now, not cheap though.

Thanks for sharing this, it really feels as if I'm there when I read your diary of your trip up north. Wonderful!

Tracey