The Highlands, mid-November '24

The Moray coast - heavenly, as ever, and as birdy as always

For two weeks in November, I was once again back in the Highlands of Scotland, for the third time this year (after Schools of Birding in February and April). The second week was for another School (see next post), but before that, I had a week as guest guide and speaker at the hotel, a tradition I've been fortunate enough to maintain for the last seven years.

Masses of Fieldfares heading down the Findhorn Valley

For most of those years, this week at the hotel has been themed as Seaduck Week, and I once again had the pleasure of guiding the hotel guests to seaduck hotspots as well as giving a Seaducks of Europe talk to kick the week off.

Atlantic Salmon spawning in the river below

I had lots of downtime inbetween BWWC commitments and, with good (and often unseasonably mild) weather during the week, I roamed my favourite birding spots both inland and along the Moray coast (as well as getting in a lot of highly enjoyable trail-running in Anagach Forest, behind the hotel).

Kept it local here in #Grantown-on-Spey today - guided a lovely group in the morning, then a forest run in Anagach Woods this afternoon, during which huge numbers of Redwings and Fieldfares were funneling SW (and many v high Pink-feet) - wonder if there's a change in the weather coming... (!)

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— Mark the Birder (@markthebirder.bsky.social) November 16, 2024 at 6:22 PM

A late Barn Swallow perched up (with a European Starling) on a yacht in Lossiemouth harbour

The birding was great (as it always is up here at this time of year) and there were many highlights, a few included here. As well as the classic, iconic localised species, the most show-stealing highlights were provided by the massive numbers of winter thrushes.

Peregrine, just before a successful catch

More #raptor recon locally for our upcoming School of Birding and I was spoiled for Golden Eagles, with at least six individuals of all ages entertaining me through the day.... #UKBirds #UKbirding

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— Mark the Birder (@markthebirder.bsky.social) November 14, 2024 at 6:12 PM

Every day involved encounters with large flocks, and several days involved genuinely biblical numbers; during one particularly fabulous session in Strathdearn, I'd over 5,000 Fieldfares, including a megaflock of 2,500+.... as well as both Eagle species, and lots of other raptors - including a Peregrine that I watched smashing a Fieldfare out of the sky right above me.

#Raptor recon for our upcoming School of Birding today in my favourite local Highland glen - this beast of a Peregrine perched up close for a while before smashing a Fieldfare out of the sky and troughing it down shortly after..... #ScottishBirds #UKbirding

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— Mark the Birder (@markthebirder.bsky.social) November 14, 2024 at 3:32 PM

More thrushes (above), as watched by Red Deer (below)....

... and Red Squirrels

Wigeon at Lossiemouth

Purple Sandpipers, Turnstones and Oystercatchers enjoying breakfast at Hopeman on the Moray coast #seaduckweek #scottishbirds

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— Mark the Birder (@markthebirder.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 7:36 AM