📖 Early Starts and Upland Icons 20/04/26

A Morning in the Cabrach

Dropping Dazza off for a ridiculously early flight at Aberdeen airport provided the perfect excuse to head for the hills. My destination? The Cabrach.

Located on the rugged border of Aberdeenshire and Moray near Huntly, the Cabrach is a remote and hauntingly beautiful landscape. It remains one of the most vital strongholds for Black Grouse in Scotland; while the species has faced a sharp decline across the UK, this area remains a "hotspot" thanks to its unique mosaic of heather moorland, rough grazing, and young forestry.

Into the Gloom

View across to Clashindarroch Woodland in the gloom

I arrived shortly after sunrise, though my timing coincided with the onset of heavy rain. The conditions were far from ideal, but the birding was so productive that I spent an excellent few hours observing without even needing to step out of the car.

I began at a few vantage points near the Nordic Ski Club Trail car park, where a few Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers were singing. This area is an upland symphony in the spring. The air was filled with the calls of displaying Curlews and Lapwings, with several visible in the ploughed fields and rough grazing just below me. Oystercatchers were a constant, noisy presence, and the fencelines were dotted with Meadow Pipits and a particularly pristine-looking Northern Wheatear.

Northern Wheatear

The mammals were out, too—I spotted a couple of Brown Hares and caught a fleeting glimpse of a Weasel as it dashed across the track. The highlight of the early morning, however, was a ringtail Hen Harrier gliding low over the heather, and a pair of Ring Ouzels busily foraging for worms in a nearby paddock.

One of two male Ring Ouzels in the paddocks

The Main Event: The Lek

After spotting a lone Black Grouse nearby, I moved further up the road to the lek itself. Despite the gloom, the site was a hive of activity. I sat in the "mobile hide" of my car for a good hour, mesmerised by the spectacle.

Black Grouse at the roadside

Another Black Grouse encounter

At least 25 birds were on the ground, including a dozen or so females (Greyhens) watching the males battle for dominance. While the flat light and rain weren't conducive to National Geographic-level photography, witnessing that many birds lekking at once was a privilege.

View of the Lek from the car

On the drive around, I added three more Wheatears to the tally and spotted a single, rather forlorn-looking Sand Martin braving the drizzle. Down on the River Deveron, a female Goosander drifted past. The local colonies of Black-headed and Common Gulls were also well-represented.

Unsurprisingly, the heavy clouds kept the Eagles and Goshawks out of sight today, but in the Cabrach, you can never feel short-changed. Even in the pouring rain, it remains one of the most evocative wildlife spectacles in Scotland.