Glen Cannich

 Friday May 16

Some time ago, I used to cut out pertinent 'Where to watch' articles from the magazine 'Birdwatching', particularly Scottish sites. Shortly before coming away, I re-found them. One was about Glen Cannich, very near to the better known Glen Affric. It said that it was a good glen for birding, especially from the car. That sounded ideal for us. 

Google maps took us to the small village of Cannish from which we turned up a single track road, through heavily wooded hills, beside the stony mountain river Cannich. Fortunately there was very little traffic as passing places were few and far between. Another cloudless day in which to enjoy the stunning scenery.

During occasional stops, we added Treecreeper to the trip list, Spotted Flycatcher and Garden Warbler to the year list. 

When the mix of deciduous and coniferous trees thinned out , we reached upland moors and our first sighting of Red Deer.

We saw two groups,  both made up of youngish males, their developing antlers still clad in velvet or partially losing it. That together with their winter moulting coats made for very scruffy animals.

Settled into a shady spot under a lone tree, we could watch the surrounding hilltops with their scattered patches of trees. Our third Golden Eagle appeared over the tops, giving us fairly extensive views of this magnificent broad-winged raptor.

We'd seen some Hebridean sheep on the way, ewes and lambs in one field, rams in another. The rams have four horns, unfortunately they were all lying down, and did not respond to my  requests that they should get up - I said please.

 

Alturlie is fast becoming Pam's Brancaster Staithe. She cannot pass it. The tide was well in again, no Grey Herons at all after last night's 13. New was two Common Terns, sleeping at the water's edge. A better Hooded Crow too, again ignoring my entreaties that he get up and show his legs.

 I don't know why, but there are extensive roadworlks going on just before Nairn. They are both extensive and long. Pam counted 63 cars in the opposite lane last night. It looks as though they are preparing for a housing estate.

Yet another roadworks with traffic lights had sprouted since this morning, a lengthy wait just before Forres, near K9 - labelled as a dog bistro! The mind boggles.