π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ Thursday 2nd May 2024 π€ 14C ~ Wind NNE @ 6MPH ~ The sun was finally shining with a balmy 14C forecast, so I decided to take a 40-minute drive from home to Muir Of Dinnet NNR. This was my first visit of the year, and it is my go-to place for spotting Tree Pipits, Common Redstarts, and Cuckoos. There are two freshwater lochs at Dinnet, Loch Kinord and Loch Davan and the vegetation includes pine and birch woodland, breaking to open moor on the high ground.
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| Tree Pipit ~ At least 15 during my visit |
I would have to say that having visited each spring since 2020 when I first moved to Scotland this was by far my best year for
Tree Pipits. I recorded at least 15 birds frequently displaying, landing in the treetops and occasionally foraging at ground level.
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| Common Redstart |
I made my way to Loch Davan, mainly for a regular nesting pair of Great Crested Grebes, a rare thing in Aberdeenshire. Unfortunately, there was no sign during my scans and I'll try again in a few weeks. However, I did record a rather nice-looking male
Common Redstart, which I managed a shot of, even though he perched with the sun directly behind!
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| Cuckoo ~ My first of the year! |
I could hear a distant
Cuckoo occasionally and whether it was the same bird or not a short time later one flew right past, fortunately, my camera was in hand.
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| Red Kite on the prowl |
On the high ground, several
Lapwings were protecting their nests, fighting off the occasional Corvid and I wasn't surprised to see a
Red Kite looking for a meal. He did leave empty-handed. As well as the more common species today a
Common Sandpiper was also noted at Loch Kinord and my first
Orange-tip butterfly of the year.
