Yomping

This is a cliched shot for me as this is the third walking in shot I have done in successive years on our trips to the Cairngorms. Our trips are usually in winter, ideally when the snow lies deep on the ground, and we have the pinewoods to ourselves. This year we were later because Bill has been galavanting for the last few months through South America and New Zealand. But the advantage of being later is that there are more birds to be seen and heard. On the 5 mile walk to Glen Quoich we were regaled by tree and meadow pipits, my first cuckoo and redstarts of the year, willow warblers, and common sandpipers' plaintive calls from the river.

The main advantage of this time of year is the chance of seeing parties of dotterel, newly arrived on the snowy high tops. The first time we came to this place, we had a golden day when we saw all of the characteristic birds of the Cairngorm tops: golden eagle, dotterel, ptarmigan, snow bunting, peregrine and raven. Writing this as a back blip, I can say that we missed two of those species this time.