March 29 – April 4 Sat - Fri
Group Size: 8
Starting Point: Inverness
Based: Orkney - 3 nights, Farr - 3 nights
Walking: Easy
The Orkney and Highlands combination during April features the full range of resident and overwintering birds, plus strong influxes of incoming migrants.
Orkney waters contain large numbers of Great Northern Divers, and many Long-tailed Ducks are paired and displaying. Geese, ducks and waders (Golden Plover, Purple Sandpiper and Turnstone etc.) remain in their thousands, Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls are back on territory, while concentrations of seabirds amass offshore.
During a visit to our private wetland reserve we shall look for Orkney Voles.
From our base above the Great Glen several top Highland birds add to our list: Black and Red-throated Divers, Slavonian Grebe, Osprey, Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Capercaillie, Red and Black Grouse, Ring Ouzel, Crested Tit and Scottish Crossbill etc. Breeding sites of Tawny and Barn Owls are visited and an excursion is made to view roding Woodcock.
Although primarily a birdwatching event, mammals including deer and seals are seen. Red Squirrels are very active and Blue Hares still sport their white coats.
Itinerary
Day 1 Sat...9.00 Rendezvous:
The tour commences with an extremely bird productive journey to the north coast. Crossing the Black Isle Red Kite and Common Buzzard are seen, at Dornoch Black-throated Diver, rafts of Eider, Common and Velvet Scoters, and, at Helmsdale, Iceland or Glaucous Gulls.
It will be dark by the time of he evening sea crossing to Stromness (90 mins.)
Days 2 & 3 Sun & Mon:
Our introduction to Orkney birds begins with a walk around Kirkwall harbour, where we see Black Guillemot, Goldeneye and Long-tailed Duck at close range. East of Kirkwall the first grey geese will be encountered in farmland, most being Greylag, though a close check should reveal a few Pink-feet and probably a Barnacle or two. At Scapa we should pick up the first Great Northern Divers. At Deerness we explore stunted willow-shrubberies for migrant passerines. Short-eared Owls and Hen Harriers can be expected in this area. Progressing down to the islands of Burray and South Ronaldsay we scope waters by the Churchill Barriers causeways, where Red-throated Diver should add to our list.
The inland lochs of Mainland Orkney feature Tufted Duck, Scaup, Pochard and Red-breasted Merganser. Herds of Whooper Swans remain, and around The Loons (RSPB reserve) open water should produce Teal, Pintail and Shoveler, while Marsh Harrier and Black-tailed Godwit are looked for around wetland cover. Pastures throughout contain large flocks of Curlew (Orkney hosts 25% of overwintering UK totals) and Oystercatcher, also Golden Plover and Redshank. Sandy shores along the east-coast are checked for Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and other migrant waders.
Days 4 - 6 Tue - Thu:
Returning to Scrabster on the late-morning boat a full array of seabirds is seen: Shag, Fulmar, Gannet, Kittiwake, Great and Arctic Skuas, Common and Black Guillemots, Razorbill and Puffin. We travel to our next base in Strathnairn (10 miles from Inverness) via the flow country of Caithness, stopping at Forsinard where sighting of a Merlin is likely.
Locations in the uplands above Loch Ness are checked for Black-throated Diver, Slavonian Grebe and Golden Eagle. Hill burns are visited for Dipper and Grey Wagtail, with likelihood of an early Wheatear in stony pastures. A walk through mature birchwoodland will produce an array of small passerines: Treecreeper, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Bullfinch among them. Stonechat and Twite are regular by roadsides, with good chances of lingering Brambling and Snow Bunting. Fieldfares and Redwings are still around in good numbers and even a Waxwing is possible.
After dinner an excursion is made to see roding Woodcock.
A day on Speyside targets Capercaillie, Red and Black Grouse, Osprey, Crested Tit , Dipper, Scottish Crossbill and Red Squirrel.
Day 7 Sat:
This final day is set aside to chase up birds we may have struggled to find. Glen Affric or Strathconnon are likely options, being respectively good for pinewood species and Golden Eagles. The tour concludes late afternoon, with transfers provided to transport terminals or accommodation in Inverness.
Cost: £795...includes:
six nights dinner, b&b in twin rooms en suite; packed lunches days 1-7; all excursions (including ferries) plus transfers to and from transport terminals; guidance.