Ruthven - Visit 2

 Tuesday May 20

It was early afternoon by the time we set off, we needed to look for somewhere to eat. We took the Fort Augustus road from the A9n and found a small car park, labelled Littlemill, amongst the woods.

The dramatic landscape of Littlemill has a fascinating story to tell. Glaciers from the last ice age carved out the landscape here. The retreating ice left us with the strangely named esker ridges and kettle hole lochans.

The mosaic of woodland, wetland and heathland make Littlemill an oasis for wildlife. From colourful springtime flowers to summer butterflies and autumn fungi, there’s always something to see here.

Reads as though it's worth a visit for those who walk. We enjoyed our short stay, listening to Siskin, and Willow Warblers, and a distant Cuckoo.

Time is flying by, a last chance to catch up with a missed bird. One we are unlikely to see elsewhere this year, Slavonian Grebe. The only accessible site for us is Loch Ruthven RSPB reserve. It's far too difficult to walk to the hide, we park roadside in a small pull-off from which I can scope most of the loch. A long and hot hour or so later, I saw two Slavonian Grebes fly low across the loch. Phew. Rumour has it that there were only three birds here last year, not good news. No fishermen in a rowboat today, but three paddleboarders  can't be good news for the birds.

A nearby field had both a Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush. They were the only photos I attempted today, despite knowing that the light was wrong. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also found a dozen Golden Plover in another field on the way back to the village.

Reaching the B road back towards Inverness, a raptor flew across in front of us, landing on a telegraph pole. As I suspected from the large white tail with a terminal band and the general pattern of the upper wing, it was a Rough-legged Buzzard. Pam's photo also shows the fluffy legs. I was about to photograph it when a passing lorry hooted, and it flew away.