Unusual Visitor to the River Nairn

Hello to visitors to the blog from other shores; it's a privilige to have you popping in once and a while to see what's going on in our beautiful part of the world (and hello especially to the Octon Two xx)

We've had a new visitor on the river over the past week or so: a Pintail.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

It seems perfectly happy lazing around with the resident Mallards, and they in-turn seem happy enough for him to stay for a while!

We've also had a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers; maybe the same pair as this time last year.  I've seen them from the mouth of the river all the way down toward Firhall Bridge.  Has anyone seem them further up river? 

Also on the river - and so easily mistaken for female Mergansers - are the female Goosanders.  The best way to tell the difference between the females of both species is the distinct break in colour from rufus red to white on the neck of the Goosander compared to the phased change in colour on the Merganser.  The Goosander also has a dark, bulbous downward pointing tip to the bill. I often have to take a second look to confirm.

The above two pics are female Mergansers. The bottom bird in the pic below (taken last year in completely different lighting conditions) is a female Merganser.  Again, click to enlarge and look at the colour pattern in the neck and look at the difference in the bill.

The other day I spotted a Great Northern Diver out in the firth off the west beach.  Well, I say I spotted it, it was actually a very experienced bird watcher from Inverness paying a visit to Nairn.  I saw him with his telescope, and as always, I can't resist the temptation to strike up a conversation with someone who looks interested in birds!  He said there was also a Red Throated Diver off the east beach.  Whilst looking over that way I saw a large flock of Dunlin settle on one of the sand bars just away from a crowd of Scoter.

On the same sandbar were a flock of Curlew; talking of which, I counted 173 Curlew in a flock feeding in a field on the Ardesier side of the airport today. 

Finally - the geese!  Thousands are back already and plenty more to come!

Seamus

Nairn's Caper - photos of it in the wild

Here are a couple of photos of Nairn's Caper out in the pine forests of the Highlands - where it truly belongs! As soon as it was released it headed for the top of an old Scots Pine and starting to feed on the needles! A great job well done by everyone involved.

Seamus

Capercaillie Repatriated

I'm pleased to report that the Caper has been repatriated to an environment it is better equipped to deal with.  It has spent the month wandering around the gardens of Nairn, giving all of us some great views.  But it has been causing quite a bit of concern to families who's gardens it has frequented the most, and it has had some near misses on the roads of Nairn, so it is much better off where it is now. 

Experts say it appears in good health.

Thanks to all the families who have put up with us running around taking photos and trying to find it a new home.

Looking Back Over the Year - a Few Photos

I thought I'd share of few of my photos - just for fun!

(By the way - we are making progress with the Caper - more in my next blog)

The first photo is of a Red Kite soaring overhead at the RSPB Red Kite Centre at Tollie, by Dingwall and Strathpether.  It is on the road to Ullapool off the Dingwall roundabout.  It's well worth a visit to get some spectacular views of the kites fromThe Black Isle and beyond (and you may well bump into Kate and myself!).  The RSPB has done a tremendous job re-introducing these fantastic birds to our skies: a great success story; so share in tit and pop over to visit the Centre.

You can also get close up views of all the birds feeding on the nearby feeders, like these Great Tits.

This time of the year is good to see Red Breasted Merganser venturing up river.  this pair were taken last year on the RiverNairn, and an new pair have returned this year - the same pair?

The Pinkfoot will  be returning north in their thousands soon; here are a couple of images from last year's migration.  The sky will be filled with sights like the two below.

As we are now on the right side of winter, I thought we could look at what pleasure we have to come.  Here is a Willow Warbler singing its heart out to welcome in spring.

                       

This Coal Tit was feeding its young in Strath Conon.

Whilst this Blue Tit was keeping busy in a garden in Nairn

In early summer you can hardly fail to see the white rump of a Wheatear flash past your windscreen as you drive down our county roads.  Here a parent watches over a juvenile.

And of course you can always keep watch for River Nairn's very own Heron and Dippers - ever present.

Here is a Dipper from Inverness feeding on the River Ness, next to Eden Court.

And finally, don't forget to keep an eye out for the Tree Creepers all over the woods around here.  The first was along the River Nairn and the second one from Old Bar Wood (in Kingsteps Quarry).

By the way - some of you may have noticed I have cheated a wee bit on this post - quite a few of these photos have appeared before - I just thought it was nice to see them all together!

Seamus

Sea Watch

Before I talk about the sea watch today, a little update on the Caper.  It's still roaming around the gardens of East Nairn, eating pine needles and fruit.  It nearly came a cropper on the A96 by Sainsbury's, but thanks to a caring driver an an observant bus driver it manged to walk across un-hurt!

Here it is on a garden wall!!

The Brent Geese are back!  Now, I know lots of you have already seen them - but I haven't, until today.  Friends have told me they have seen around 30 of them foraging along the rocky beach by the golf course (their usual haunt), but I still haven't seen them there.  I was over at Whitness and saw them feeding among a large flock of Oyster Catchers on the inlet next to the flooded waters.  I suspect they have been much scarcer this year due to a shortage in their main food source.

Here they were last year down by the golf course.

With the high tide this lunch-time I was able to get great views of a flock of Long-Tailed Ducks, as well as well as the ever-present Eiders; all a bit too far to get a respectable photo, but below is a pic of an Eider at Burghead Harbour that I took a few weeks ago (I know it's cheating a little - but the quality is much better when they are this close!).

The Goldeneye have been here all winter, and today I saw 14 Shellduck; these are very elegant ducks.  Not great quality photos, but you get the picture!

Cheers

Vulnerable Caper

I notice on The Gurn that some are suggesting that the Caper might be a Black Grouse.  It is quite easy to mix the two, but I can confirm that this is definitely a Caper.  Size and colour of wings - and particularly the large bill are the main give away.

As for it's well-being: it is lost and vulnerable in a town centre and people are right to be concerned.  There are precious few of these iconic birds surviving in The Highlands and we need to treat this situation very sensitively to prevent a premature demise.

A number of expert authorities in the conservation field are aware of this ongoing situation and I will keep you updated.  Please let me know of any more sightings.

Caper Update

I have sought advice and it appears that this might be a rogue, lost and lonely caper, that may well be the last survivor of its species in our area as the decline in the species has been massive in recent years. These lost capers have been known to venture close to humans and appear fairly tame, but remember it is a wild bird and should not be approached.

It is at risk to the dangers of living so close to town and probably will not survive.  I am seeking further advice about the best way to 'help'.  I'll keep you updated.

By the way - on my way home in the increasing gloomy light, I spotted these on a Long-Tailed Tits on a feeder - lovely!

Seamus