After sleeping in until 10am (we were all shattered), we had a camp fry-up before taking the Funicular Railway to the top of the Cairngorms. Myself and Tom climbed higher looking and failing to see Ptarmigan (we saw no birds at all!) whilst Sam stayed with Eurl around the restaurant.
We then descended to look lower down. I managed to find a Meadow Pipit (the only bird I saw on the mountains all day!) but Tom and Erul had more luck with flight views of a Ptarmigan.
Findhorn Valley:
Wanting to get the the Findhorn Valley we had to call it a dayby early afternoon. Leaving Erul at Loch Morlich, myself and the boys went alone. Sam’s decision to come along was a last minute one, but we were very gland he did as he was integral in what happened in the finding of the Black Stork…
e-mail to Kevin Davis, county recorder for Highland:
“Last weekend, my two sons and I visited the Speyside area to try and get the Scottish specialities. It was the first time for my two sons (aged thirteen and ten), and about fifteen years since I last visited!
Anyway, on Saturday 18th May from mid until late afternoon, we drove the Findhorn valley looking for Golden Eagle and other raptors. Unlike my eldest son, my youngest isn't really a birder but seems to have a knack for picking out raptors whilst driving (very useful on foreign holidays!) and as it turned out we were very glad he came along. We were stopped just east of the Farr Road junction when he picked up what he said was a very distant large bird. His directions were appalling(!) but when I eventually got it my eldest son (who was still looking in the wrong place) asked if it was an eagle, to which I replied "No, but it is something very interesting, get on it quick!"
It was heading towards us from the south-west and viewed from head-on. All I could make out at first was that it had very long, square-ended, wings, with 'fingers' on the end and a very obvious bend in the wing half way along, slightly raised above the horizontal. This gave a 'sinister' looking Black Kite impression, though clearly too big and completely wrong for that species. Not expecting to see a Stork in the Findhorn Valley it took me several seconds to realise what we were looking at before I said rather excitedly announced that it looked like a stork. However due to its head-on approach, and the improbability, I was still unsure at this point. Fortunately it was still heading towards us and as it came closer the angle of our view changed so that we could clearly see it had trailing legs and a long bill on a protruding neck. My son then agreed with me that it was a stork; though only thirteen he is a competent birder for his age and has seen several species of stork abroad, including Black.
The light was harsh and we could not really see any plumage details at this point, but luckily it carried on (in what seemed like a constant glide) in the same north-easterly direction and pretty much went over our heads. Though quite high it was clear that the underside consisted of completely black wings, neck, head, and tail, with a white 'body' and axillaries. I tried in-vain to make out the red legs and bill, but could not do so and they just appeared dark. However, I'm sure this was down to the harsh light (it was very bright) rather than it actually being so, though I must admit I still find this surprising as in my experience it is often visible from some distance.
As soon as it was out of view I made a quick description with a very poor sketch. I can send this to you if you wish but it does not really add anything. Although 100% positive of the id, we then checked through the Collins field guide we had in the car, in order to confirm it. Just for the sake of completeness I also went about looking at other illustrations to rule out any other possible species including Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, White Stork, Common Crane, and even Grey Heron.
I have the time of the sighting down at 4:40pm, though I'm not entirely sure how accurate this is as it was some time after that I looked at my watch (and therefore guessed how long it had been since the sighting.) I attempted to get news out, but had absolutely no reception on my mobile phone. It wasn't until several hours later when we were at Loch Ruthven that I managed to get a signal and so sent a text message to Birdguides.
I hope this description is satisfactory. If you require any further details, then please let me know.”
The only downside of the above is that we missed Golden Eagle (though I had a probable.) We did however see the following:
Buzzard x 6
Dipper – pair.
Common Sandpiper x 6
Wheatear x 10
Red Deer
Farr Road/Loch Ruthvern:
We then drove to Loch Ruthvern via Farr Road, seeing the following:
Whinchat
Red Grouse x 4
Sparrowhawk
Green Sandpiper
Raven
Slavonian Grebe – only a single pair (rather different and worrying compared to fifteen years ago when they were plentiful.)
Loch Morlich:
We finished the day with a barbeque on the beach at Loch Morlich listening to Tawny Owls.
Edit (15/05/2010): A Black Stork has today been reported in the Highlands at Loch Shin about 75 miles NNW from where we saw it. Almost certainly the same bird.
Edit (18/05/2010): A Black Stork was seen flying over the north tip of North Uist and then on Harris, in the Western Isles today. Same bird?
Edit (03/06/2010): Possibly the same bird?: 31/05 at Waternish Point, Skye. 02/06 at Ungirsta and then Burrafirth, Unst, Shetland (about as far north as it is possible to get in the British Isles.)
Edit (14/06/2010): Lee Evans has posted the following on his UK400 website: "The adult Black Stork that has been ranging widely over Northern Scotland in recent weeks and has now pitched up on Unst on Shetland is bearing a white ring inscribed '50P9'. This bird was ringed in the nest in Hungary on 26 June 2007 and last registered there on 17 September 2008. In early spring 2009, it was in The Netherlands from 29-31 March."
