📚There is a specific kind of stillness that settles over the Northeast of Scotland when high pressure arrives. It doesn’t always bring the sun, but it brings a quiet clarity—perfect for the ears, if a little chilly for the fingers. Today, I made my annual pilgrimage to Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve, arriving at the Burn O’Vat car park at 8 a.m. to an 8 °C chill and the glorious, frantic energy of an extended dawn chorus.
The Sounds of the Birchwoods
Before I even left the car park, the woodland was ringing with the "usual suspects"—Willow Warbler, now arriving in force, Chiffchaff, and Song Thrush—but the real prize was my first Tree Pipit of the year. There is nothing quite like their parachute display to signal that spring has truly taken hold.
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| Tree Pipit from last year's visit. |
As I moved clockwise toward Loch Davan, the bird song intensified. Siskins and Chaffinches provided a constant backdrop. I noted a couple of Treecreepers, Blue Tits and Great Tits were flitting about everywhere, but the day’s "silver medalist" was a Grasshopper Warbler reeling away near the ruins of Old Kinord. It’s an unusual find for the site and a fantastic addition to my year list.
Shifting Tides on the Lochs
Loch Davan was a mix of nostalgia and new sights. It is a sobering reality that the Great Crested Grebe no longer graces these waters, a reminder that even our most cherished reserves are subject to the shifting tides of bird populations. However, the Goldeneye—for which Dinnet remains a UK stronghold—were out in force, joined by Tufted Ducks, Greylag Geese and Mute Swans.
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| Female Goldeneye on Loch Kinord today. |
The Return of the Summer Stars
Heading toward Loch Kinord, the "target birds" appeared in quick succession. Near the Kinord Cross, a male Common Redstart gave a vocal performance from the canopy before dropping down to join a female near the shoreline. Above the water, the air was thick with Sand Martins, Swallows, and my first House Martin of the season. An Oystercatcher called, and the visit concluded with a Common Sandpiper, yet another "year tick" to add to the tally.
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| Common Sandpiper |
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| Common Redstart |
A Deeside Bonus
With the Adders, to which Dinnet has many, and Raptors keeping a low profile in the overcast and chilly conditions, I took a short detour to the Dinnet Oakwood. The move paid off handsomely with a sighting of a Nuthatch—still a notable scarcity in this part of the world—and the distant, mocking "yaffle" of a Green Woodpecker, another scarcity high on the list, but sadly this one remained elusive!
Rounding off the day with a Kingfisher flashing over the River Dee was the perfect ending to a productive morning. Oh, and a roadside Red-legged Partridge on route home. It wasn't the warmest day on the calendar, but for a birder, the heat comes from the quality of the sightings.
Total Year Ticks: 6 (Tree Pipit, Grasshopper Warbler, House Martin, Common Sandpiper, Nuthatch & Red-legged Partridge)
