Snow Buntings: Winter is Complete (but not over!)

I’ve been on the lookout for our annual visitors from the far north all winter and was thrilled when we spotted three of them on The East Beach on Sunday. They usually arrive late November, but neither of us has seen them, (but that doesn’t mean they weren’t here earlier of course!). They can normally be seen flitting among the long grasses alongside the path on the West Beach or in the grasses among the sand dunes on The East Beach.

I couldn’t capture them on film and have been back a few times, camera in-hand, but no more shows from them. If I manage to get a picture, I’ll publish it here. They can be spotted all year round on Cairngorm, and very easily from the car park at The Funicular Railway.

So that’s it for migrating birds visiting us for the winter; but it is not the end of winter. That’s if the Tufted Ducks are any judges. I spotted two of them on The River Nairn today; I thought they had all gone back to sea to get ready for spring; I hope they are not predicting another cold spell. I have noticed the Goldeneye very close to shore, but not on the river (not for a few weeks anyway). I have also failed to see the Goosander for a while; they normally leave much later than February: signs that spring is heading this way, slowly.

Keep an eye on the blog for pictures of Snow Buntings - if I get them.