Dolphins my Ass

That might seem a strange title for a birding trip to Scotland but if you read on you will get it. So I loaded up my car with a sleeping bag food gear and spare clothes and set of from my home heading for Scotland I started the long journey about 8pm and was surprised re the amount of traffic still on the roads but I made good time and soon was at a service station on the outskirts of Glasgow after a short rest I pushed on and spotted a Barn Owl hunting right next to the service station. I made it to someway past Perth and was begging to flag a bit, by now it would be about 2am. So I pulled over into a lay by on the A9 but I did not really feel very comfortable with this location as at any point someone could easy plough into the back of me so I pushed on and saw a sign for Kinnloch Rannoch and pulled of the A9 and drove onto a very quiet road. I found a lay by and parked up and jumped into the back and wrapped the sleeping bag around me I did not unzip it and get in it as as of yet I had not worked out how to lock the car up from inside so I veered on the sign of caution. But I did drift of for some hours and woke around about 5am either because it was becoming light or I was cold. i fired up the car engine and put the heater on which I did not really fully understand how to operate but it did warm up a tad then I put on the in car maps device which again I did not fully understand and it became a real pain for the whole trip, but I did have my phone and set up maps on that but the phone screen has so many cracks it would not load a route I could follow other than looking at the screen to find my location. So I set off and realised my next problem fuel I had less than half a tank and service stations would not be open even if there was any. But never mind as this short trip is about seeing birds but also about learning and gaining experience for longer trips. After a few lay by stops to check my location I made it to Thumel Bridge then pulled of the Kinnloch Rannoch road and headed for Trinafour then made a sharp left back to Kinnloch Rannoch according to my info which is years old there should be a Black Grouse lek somewhere up ahead somewhere on the left. Instead of looking for likely lek areas which I would not really have a clue about I looked for human activy cars pulling of road tire tracks or other twitchers. I saw nothing other than a good spot to pull off road leading into the moorland type terrain. I got out the car and had a scan with the binoculars whilst doing this I started to here this bubbling sound and other unfamiliar noises and I immediately knew it was the sound of Black Grouse. After locating the Black Grouse I returned to the car and set up the scope for better viewing. There was 4 Male Black Grouse on the lek all in combat postures looking like sumo wrestlers with there wings spread out and strutting about giving it some, fighting each other now and then i never located a female but imagine they was about and really its the Males you want to see and even better to view them at there lek, which is a traditional site they have used for years and years to congregate fight and strut there stuff to win a female. To see this event you have to be there very earlier in the morning first light if possible which has a downside as it was bitterly cold and after 45mins I had, had enough also they are a Schedule 1 Bird which makes it an offence to disturbed them, which I am glad I did not but I was glad to view them for a short time fantastic. 

Next I pushed on to my next destination Loch Ruthven near Inverness but first I had to sort out the heater problem in the car or really non problem as all I had to do was work out how to operate it properly and soon I was warm as toast, then the more pressing problem of finding fuel I did find a garage before I ran out but had to wait over an hour for it to open. So I had another go at setting up in car maps, which had me returning to my home address and annoyed me so much I turned it off. Whist waiting for the garage to open it started to snow and I thought I was in for a rough day. 

Now fuelled up I pressed on to Loch Ruthven which I found fairly easily parked up and headed for the hide. Slavonian Grebe is the Bird to see here and within a few mins I have scoped 3 Birds then 1 Bird swan over to the hide and gave fantastic scope views I could see every feather. By now the weather has turned, blue clear sky sun out its not roasting but hey its turning into a warm day.

I pushed on past Inverness and made a roadside stop somewhere near RSPB Tollie and noted Red Kites, then onwards across country to Ulapool and upwards to Loch Maree the countryside was spectacular but it was a disappointing choice bird wise the info I had was it was a good spot to see nesting red throated and black throated divers on the loch but I could not find a spot to even view the loch so i pushed on and pulled up somewhere on the road to Tarbet about 6pm had something to eat and by 8pm was safely tucked up in my sleeping bag car doors locked and the next I knew was its 5am next morning. I took a few shots of the scenery yesterday but really viewing them later they do not give you the immense countryside you see as you pass through it is truly stunning.

I drive of to Tarbet which is the starting point for catching a short boat trip to Handa Island as I make my way there I stop at all the Lochs and pools looking for divers in summer plumage which are spectacular birds to see but I reckon I’ve made a bit of a bo bo trying this as they wont be easy to see whilst on there nests and also they feed mostly on the open sea I do note 2 black throated divers fly past or at least I reckon they are at one of the stops I made, but that is only judged on the calls they made so I don’t tick them on this judgement as I am not that familiar with there calls, also noted a large raptor but could not id it as the view was very brief. At Tarbet I get the info that the boat to Handa will run from 9am so I got about an hour to wait till then. A few others arrive and 5 off us set off for the Island me a Welsh Father and Daughter and a presumed Scottish couple, the Welsh guys give me info re the Divers and say they seen them most days on the sea. The weather is not as good as yesterday its not cold cold but the sky is overcast and its raining now and then, I’ve put on my waterproofs and so do the Welsh crew there’s no point being uncomfortable over there on the Island as the boat does not run to any schedule and you could find that you have to wait some more hours on the Island till the ferry boat will come and pick you up, It takes about 10mins to cross the sea to reach Handa were you will greeted by volunteers who stay on the Island and guide you to a info centre and give you a map and dos and don’ts whilst on the Island then your free to explore within the guidelines.

I set off and steam up the hill and see a Great Skua sat on a rock totally unconcerned about me, he has arrived on Handa after spending months and months at sea to now kill everything he can, mate and kill some more. I move on and pass the old abondend village and head to the centre of the Island I look up to the sky and see a huge raptor in front of me long wings long tail there is only one type of Eagle it can be in this location a Golden Eagle. Next up a pair of very vocal divers fly past, which should be Red Throated Divers based on all there in flight calling. I arrive at Puffin Bay were many Great Skuas are bathing in the small loch and the huge cliffs have thousands of Guillemots, Razorbills and smaller numbers of Fulmers nesting there with a few Puffins also on the top of the cliffs were they make there burrows to nest in. The Guillemots and Razorbills lay there eggs on the smallest ledge they can find on the cliff faces, this is so the Skuas cant attack them or snatch there chicks, then at around 3 weeks old the chicks jump from the cliffs to be fed on the open sea by there parents and now the Skuas mate and have a never ending supply of chicks to feed there own offspring’s.

As i was watching the bird activity a huge fin rose up out of the sea very close to the cliffs, then another and another then the front half of a huge something with a white patch towards the front on the side of the something. I immediately thought it can only be a killer Whale. My knowledge of killer Whales or Dolphins is very limited and I called out to the Scottish couple who had begun to walk off and pointed down into the sea, they returned and we watched these huge creatures for the next 10 mins breaking the surface with there massive fins and front area with the white spot on, as they swam off I approached the Scottish couple and asked them there opion on what it was we all just saw, the women made no comment but the guy reckoned they were common Dolphins, which I doubted and on my return to base I would be looking up pictures of Dolphins via killer Whales and even finding out if Killer Whales are even seen in Scottish waters. I wandered off towards the Great stack and found the Welsh Father and Daughter there and 2 off the volunteer wardens, the Welsh guy immediately asked me if I had seen the pod of killer Whales. When the Scottish couple arrived at the Great stack area I let them know it was killer Whales we saw not Dolphins, the women had made a video on her camera and showed it to the 2 volunteer wardens who confirmed yes indeed we had been watching a pod of killer Whales.

The Great Stack is a better spot for viewing birds and I managed to pick out the Razorbills here from the Guillemots also more Puffins nest here, I carried on and completed the circular route around the Island and returned to the visitor centre, were I enquired re the Arctic Skuas and was informed they have not returned to breed as of yet, so I will make a return trip in a month or so combined with a visit to the Cairngorms area. 

Back on the mainland i headed off and made my way to the now called Lochinver costal route, which at one point was the main road to Lochinver. Its very narrow with many passing places which really your not meant to stop in for any length of time or abandon your vehicle in and wander off, I found a good passing place by the sea and parked up and noted 2 fast flying birds over the water, black with white wing spots, red legs and feet a pair of Black Guillemots, at another passing place I cast my eye over the bird less sea and up popped a summer plumaged Black Throated Diver right in front of me, then lo and behold up pops a summer plumaged Red Throated Diver, I watched the Divers till they went out of sight then drove on to Lochinver for a fish and chip meal but I could not find a chippie. So I fired up the on board gps and punched in my post code 7 secs later its got me a route home, its telling me how many hours of driving it will take, how many hours it will take, the locations of the petrol stations, places of interest, fuel consumption and no doubt anything else you might need to know, technology is only as good as the operator of it.

Around about Perth I was beginning to flag and driving conditions were poor so I pulled up in a safe lay by and spent the night there and pushed on in the morning. I reckon I spent about £80.00 on fuel but saved a £100.00 by sleeping in the car and taking my own food. 

Conclusions. I learned a fair bit re travelling long distance in a car and sleeping in it, your up at first light, not sleeping in a b and b awaiting breakfast which easily cuts down on birding and driving time. Fantastic Birds seen in a dramatic landscape and killer Whales as a bonus.