Loch Garten is calling so off we go & arrive at day break, the first thing to do is head to the viewing point at Tulloch Moor for Black Grouse, last year we really had to work to see one with at least 3 visits before we got a quick sight of one, but not this time we are only here 5 minutes when one is spotted walking about behind some grass mounds, fantastic another year tick & we haven't even had to work for the privilege of seeing this shy bird.
A quick drive around looking for a Caper but again no sign, for some reason we don't park up & wait for to long like last year, maybe it's because we had such a great sighting then, it's not going to happen for us like that again.
The centre is not open for a few more days yet so we content our self with anything that visits the car park area, it's alive with Chaffinch & Siskin, also Coal Tits & we also see Treecreeper, we park up & wait & get a reward when Red Squirrel arrive to entertain us.
We are about to drive off when my big moment arrives when 2 Crested Tits land on a tree & for once I happen to spot them & put the boys on to them, this doesn't happen very often so I enjoy all the praise heaped on me, it will not last long I know that. So another year tick & a good long look at a great little bird.
Next stop will be Flemington Loch to look for the lay by with the white stones ,this is where the American Coot is to be found.
We find the spot with ease & a fellow was all ready on to the Coot, so we are all on to it, another easy tick for us, this one is a lifer for all of us.
Now off for we hope the highlight of the trip looking for Golden Eagle's down in the Findhorn Valley.
As we pull up at the bottom a few birders are calling to us to look up above us as the target bird is right over our head, what a great sight to see, the best view any of us have had of this fantastic Eagle.
As it turns out one of the fellows remembered us from last year at the same spot, he is a local birder from just up the road ,so I have a talk with him to ask what the opinion polls are saying about independence for Scotland, he tells me it's on a knife edge, I hope they vote no.
Before we leave we get a great view of a Mountain Hare it's in brown & white colour, we have seen many Hares when scanning the hills but never in this colour.On the way out we head up Farr Road & find the first of many Red Grouse that we will see on this trip.
The target is Loch Ruthven for the Slavonian Grebe, we park up & walk down the track towards the hide, this turns out to be a battle not to tread on any of the many Toads that filled the paths.
In the hide now & the Slav is out in the middle of the Loch, it's a long way off but we get great views in the scope, it's in really great colour.
Then Brian pick up on a bird that is flying in over the top of the trees, this is a real bonus as it turns out to be the best view that we have ever had of Goshawk, so even more year ticks here.
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