Enjoyed a damp but eventful day in Strathspey today. Started out at Aviemore. Headed to Loch an Eilein, finding two Spotted Flycatchers, a family of Mistle Thrushes, a Meadow Pipit and a flash-past vole along the way. Around the loch were more Spotted Flycatchers and a Red Squirrel. Loch Gamhna was quiet The rain started to fall heavily at Inshriach Forest so bird sightings were few. However it did provide the best Crested Tit of the day and the only Crossbill (see the story of Invereshie and Inshriach here). Feshiebridge was sodden, as was most of the walk back to Aviemore. However assorted sightings included Great spotted Woodpeckers and Treecreepers at three sites each, Jays and Buzzards at two (including a showy bird of the latter on pylons near the Rothiemurchus Fishery), 20+ House Martins feeding over Birch, 10+ Sand Martins feeding over the Spey, plenty of Willow Warblers plus single Chiffchaff and Tree Pipit. Less welcome was a dead Red Squirrel beside the road at Dalnavert.
Impressions of Strathspey in August?

• It's colourful (Heather in bloom, supported by the green of Birch, Oak, Scots Pine etc, yellow of ripening grass seed-heads, blue of Harebell etc etc etc).
• It's over-run with flying insects (including lots of midges).
• It's (consequently) full of insectivorous birds (Spotted Flycatchers and hirundines being the most obvious).
• It's full of flocks (I had tit flocks at three sites with treecreepers, willowchiffs and Spotted Flycatchers hanging on, plus groups of House Martins, Sand Martins and Starlings).
• Its pretty devoid of waders, waterfowl and gulls (unless they were all somewhere I wasn't).
• Its quite noisy again - mostly due to various passerine squeaks but also the familiar rasping call of (young?) Spotted Flycatchers.