Some of the highlights of yesterday's walk were as follows:

Starling: A number of birds were nesting in the gnarled Birches along the banks of the Spey opposite the Milton Burn. Their scolding calls (reminiscent of Jay) were very evident along that stretch and several birds were commuting back and forwards to rough pasture with beakfulls of insects, confirming that the young have hatched. 

Treecreeper: Walking through an area of stunted woodland by the Spey, about seven or eight birds suddenly erupted from behind (inside?) a trunk at chest height. The birds dispersed onto nearby tree trunks and began hopping up and down agitatedly. All were calling loudly, the intention presumably to alarm and disorientate a predator. I moved away quickly, to avoid alarming them anymore.

Goldeneye: Two females were seen along the Spey (not including a male seen on Loch Alvie from the Duke of Gordon monument). Both flew up from the water ahead of us (we were walking downstream) and headed back upstream at around three-quarters of tree-top height, calling softly. I am at a loss to explain this behaviour. At this time of year, the females should have started (possibly finished) laying. I know they don't incubate the eggs until the clutch is complete (to ensure that all the ducklings hatch at the same time), so presumably both birds (assuming they were breeders) were loafing or feeding on the river. The flights I witnessed must have been either back to the vicinity of the nest site, away from there (to divert me) or just random movements. Whatever the reason, I was reminded of what lovely little ducks they are, beautifully marked and perfectly at home in their riparian woodland habitat.

Cuckoo: I had heard Cuckoo on the two previous occasions I had visited Kinrara, so I was not surprised when the unmistakable call wafted over from the direction of Kinrara House. Typically for the species, the call was kept up almost continually for the two to three hours I was in the area.

Goosander: This is a species I sometimes have difficulty catching up with in Badeonoch and Strathspey. In my experience it is less widely distributed than Goldeneye. However two drakes and a single duck were seen on this occasion. The first drake (and a duck) were loafing on a shingle bar on a bend in the Spey east of Kinrara Bungalow. The second drake took off from a small island in the Spey opposite Drumore and circled over the pasture just inland of there. Breeding drakes apparently leave the breeding territories at the end of May to feed on standing water, so these two were presumably defending nesting females. The female may have been an off-duty breeder or a non-breeding first year bird, prospecting for next year.

Green Woodpecker: I have long been interested in catching up with Green Woodpecker on my visits to Badenoch and Strathspey. Roy Dennis mentions Kinrara as one of the first sites colonised by the species following its arrival in the area in the early 1970s, and the 2007 Highland Bird Report mentions a bird recorded there in February of that year. However I was still surprised when a bird started yaffling from an area of deciduous woodland about half a mile from me at 10:45. Knowing that the species can be quite flighty, and having already started the climb up to Tor Alvie and the Duke of Gordon monument, I satisfied myself with just listening to its call. This carried on at roughly 2 to 3 minute intervals for the next half hour, and on returning from the walk two hours later, was still going on. I'm not sure if prolonged yaffling is a sign that the bird was unmated, or possibly in a territorial dispute (another woodpecker was drumming nearby, although I took this to be a Greater-spotted as I had heard one "peeping" earlier). However I am pleased that this, and recent reports from Glenfeshie, Inshriach, Kincraig, Kinveachy, Abernethy Forest and Tulloch Moor suggest that the species is hanging on in the area. 

Pied Flycatcher: One was heard singing strongly and continuously for at least ten minutes near Lynwilg Cottage. This is a species that I enjoy tracking down in Badenoch and Strathspey. Its song is quite distinctive, making it fairly easy to separate from other birdsong nearby (although actually glimpsing the singing bird is easier said than done). Whether these mid-May singers actually find a mate and settle down or move on is not clear.

Osprey: I heard a bird alarm-calling before I saw it. A minute later one bird appeared above the trees, followed by a second. Both were spiralling above me, not making any attempt to move away. I concluded that they had a nest nearby and moved away as quickly as possible. Looking back after five minutes, neither bird was in the air, so hopefully they had settled back down.  

Gulls: A surprising number of gulls were seen loafing in fields beside the railway. The 50 or so Common Gulls south of Netwonmore may have been at a breeding site, but the thirty or so Black-headed Gulls near Kingussie (with even higher numbers on the return journey) were presumably either non-breeders, passage birds or the off duty birds of nearby breeding pairs.

The Bogach: This is a beautiful location which lies completely hidden from all the local roads, the railway and regular footpaths. It appears to be used by anglers as two rowing boats were moored at a wooden jetty. Birds in the area were listed in yesterday's blog post. Plant life included Marsh Marigold, Equisetum, Bogbean and a water lily species.

Kinrara Estate: The estate is a lovely mix of broad-leaved woodland (with some patches of conifers), grazed fields, ornamental gardens and damp areas. The south-facing aspect presumably helps to produce a habitat which looks like it might belong considerably further south than Strathspey. Apart from the Cuckoo and Green Woodpecker already mentioned, the soundtrack of the estate included major contributions from Tree Pipit (numerous birds singing and display-flighting from the tops of old Birches and Oaks), Willow Warbler, Chaffinch plus all the "usual" woodland birds. Mistle Thrush was particularly noticeable and Redstarts were singing from at least two sites. The estate apparently rears a lot of Pheasants (rearing pens and feeding hoppers were evident throughout the woods) and the sound of calling birds was a regular feature of the day (although the loudest calls of the day came from a pair of cocks sparring in a field at Myrtylefields, Aviemore).

The new Strathspey Way extension: This is a very exciting development which has not been without its share of controversy. However construction is now well underway with a fine new bridge over the Allt na Criche and new stock fencing erected along several stretches. This "missing link" will make a tremendous difference to day walkers like myself used to undertaking the unpleasant (and dangerous) walk along the busy B9152.


Impressions of Strathspey in May: 
It is getting more colourful, with many plants and trees in flower.
There is still considerable (albeit patchy) snow cover on the hills.
Rivers are flowing strongly (presumably swollen by  meltwater).
Many birds are activey breeding, although others are loafing about, either because they have not started breeding yet, or because their involvement is already over.
Young birds are starting to appear (Starling and Treecreeper being teo examples from yesterday).