White tailed eagle on Geal-charn Mor (and hares)
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 8:38 amA year ago it was election time, so I decided to cast my vote in the dark of the earlyish hours and hoof up to the Highlands. Arrived Thurs 12th Dec, walked at Spey Bay and picked litter on Friday 13th, followed by a catch-up with pal at Carrbridge. I can't remember why I picked Geal-charn Mor for the Saturday morning, but everywhere was snow-covered so anywhere would have been beautiful. And I wanted wildlife.
(The eagle and hares pics I've already posted on the wildlife forum - this is just Tier-y 2020 reminiscing.)
At Lynwilg I took the Burma Road as far as the cairns at its highest point. When I hit clag I couldn't see the point of plodding on to the view-less summit, so I didn't. What was special about this day was the life on the Burma Road.
003 Burma Road gate by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
008 Western Feshie hills of Creag Dubh by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
009 Wren by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
As I rose, I looked over to the Cairngorms where cloud was hanging low and snow looked pretty thin...
011 Cairn Gorm plateau pano by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
... while up ahead of me, the generous bulk of my hill rolled on up, looking like a great big cushion.
012 The view up ahead by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
013 Dog human and bike tracks by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
014 Ptarmigan Funicular to Cairn Gorm by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
A zoom into Sgor Gaoith was a bit more pleasing from my distant vantage point. It looked soft and peaceful, and since this was a pretty windless day, albeit a short one, anyone up there was probably enjoying a lovely sense of remoteness.
016 Allt a Mharcaidh to Sgor Gaoith zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Ahed and to my left it looked like this:
019a Landscape ahead by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Suddenly I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye, and saw the back foot of a hare disappearing. Had a feeling that was going to be my lot. I tried the skies instead and found a kestrel:
021 Male distant kestrel zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
Back down on terra firma-ish, I was forlornly photographing the hare poo in case that was all I would have to remember my little fleeing friend by, when I heard a raven croak above my head.
022 Hare poo - raven calls above by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
I looked up and beyond the raven there was this:
023 White tailed eagle above by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
I thought at first it was Golden, but then the size of the wings, and as it got closer the heavy beak and wider tail said White-tailed. And I'd just not thought of seeing them here. This was a young one, and it hung above me for about seven minutes. I couldn't believe my luck - what an honour for very little effort.
024 Look at the size of it by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
025 White tailed eagle zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
030 Turning adjusted to see face by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
053 Honestly - that beak by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
etc
And finally, off it flew.
076 Flew off over Creag Ghleannain by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
All that was just before the bridge, so at about 1,800 feet.
076a Bridge over Allt Dubh by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
With the eagle gone, out came the others. First grouse:
077 Poor wee grouse by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
...and then lots of hare. It's hard to contemplate how little time these have before there's no more 'up' for them to hide in. I wonder if they'll hybridise with brown hare, or are these beautiful characterful creatures just going to die out?
080 Mountain hare zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
083 Hare landscape by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
085 Ears and eye by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
090 Running hare zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
092 What a shape by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
093 Stops on meeting hare 4 by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
094 Two hares zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
I think this bit of the Kinrara Estate is still grouse moor. I also think Povslen bought it in 2018. What that means for the hill, who knows?
Anyway, I'd arrived at the top of the Burma Road...
097 Cairns at high point of Burma Road to Carrbridge by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
... started following hare tracks up to the summit...
097b Hare tracks up to summit by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
... but then was walking into clag. I'd had such an amazing treat, I couldn't see the point in plodding on in clag, so I decided to come back down and crash about in some woodland for the afternoon. On my way down I met a pair of ladies coming up, looking somewhere between 65 and 75, another with a dog, then a man. The two ladies were doing the round I think and looked very disapproving when I said I hadn't walked to the summit
Quite. Lazy a***.
On my descent I could see the cloud really started to come into the east. So it was a funny little morning I'd spent on an easy track, but what a joyous one!
097e No more Cairngorms views by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
097f The Allt Dubh being dubh by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
097g Sun and haze by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
100 Stonechat looking winchatty by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
101 Dog walker and not by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
103 Big trees and mini trees by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
105 Two of 3 buzzards - one trailing something by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
106 Cant see what its trailing by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
108 Ice and winter colours by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
110 Activity centre's zipwire by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
(The eagle and hares pics I've already posted on the wildlife forum - this is just Tier-y 2020 reminiscing.)
At Lynwilg I took the Burma Road as far as the cairns at its highest point. When I hit clag I couldn't see the point of plodding on to the view-less summit, so I didn't. What was special about this day was the life on the Burma Road.
003 Burma Road gate by Emma Kendon, on Flickr008 Western Feshie hills of Creag Dubh by Emma Kendon, on Flickr009 Wren by Emma Kendon, on FlickrAs I rose, I looked over to the Cairngorms where cloud was hanging low and snow looked pretty thin...
011 Cairn Gorm plateau pano by Emma Kendon, on Flickr... while up ahead of me, the generous bulk of my hill rolled on up, looking like a great big cushion.
012 The view up ahead by Emma Kendon, on Flickr013 Dog human and bike tracks by Emma Kendon, on Flickr014 Ptarmigan Funicular to Cairn Gorm by Emma Kendon, on FlickrA zoom into Sgor Gaoith was a bit more pleasing from my distant vantage point. It looked soft and peaceful, and since this was a pretty windless day, albeit a short one, anyone up there was probably enjoying a lovely sense of remoteness.
016 Allt a Mharcaidh to Sgor Gaoith zoom by Emma Kendon, on FlickrAhed and to my left it looked like this:
019a Landscape ahead by Emma Kendon, on FlickrSuddenly I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye, and saw the back foot of a hare disappearing. Had a feeling that was going to be my lot. I tried the skies instead and found a kestrel:
021 Male distant kestrel zoom by Emma Kendon, on FlickrBack down on terra firma-ish, I was forlornly photographing the hare poo in case that was all I would have to remember my little fleeing friend by, when I heard a raven croak above my head.
022 Hare poo - raven calls above by Emma Kendon, on FlickrI looked up and beyond the raven there was this:
023 White tailed eagle above by Emma Kendon, on FlickrI thought at first it was Golden, but then the size of the wings, and as it got closer the heavy beak and wider tail said White-tailed. And I'd just not thought of seeing them here. This was a young one, and it hung above me for about seven minutes. I couldn't believe my luck - what an honour for very little effort.
024 Look at the size of it by Emma Kendon, on Flickr025 White tailed eagle zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr030 Turning adjusted to see face by Emma Kendon, on Flickr053 Honestly - that beak by Emma Kendon, on Flickretc
And finally, off it flew.
076 Flew off over Creag Ghleannain by Emma Kendon, on FlickrAll that was just before the bridge, so at about 1,800 feet.
076a Bridge over Allt Dubh by Emma Kendon, on FlickrWith the eagle gone, out came the others. First grouse:
077 Poor wee grouse by Emma Kendon, on Flickr...and then lots of hare. It's hard to contemplate how little time these have before there's no more 'up' for them to hide in. I wonder if they'll hybridise with brown hare, or are these beautiful characterful creatures just going to die out?
080 Mountain hare zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr083 Hare landscape by Emma Kendon, on Flickr085 Ears and eye by Emma Kendon, on Flickr090 Running hare zoom by Emma Kendon, on Flickr092 What a shape by Emma Kendon, on Flickr093 Stops on meeting hare 4 by Emma Kendon, on Flickr094 Two hares zoom by Emma Kendon, on FlickrI think this bit of the Kinrara Estate is still grouse moor. I also think Povslen bought it in 2018. What that means for the hill, who knows?
Anyway, I'd arrived at the top of the Burma Road...
097 Cairns at high point of Burma Road to Carrbridge by Emma Kendon, on Flickr... started following hare tracks up to the summit...
097b Hare tracks up to summit by Emma Kendon, on Flickr... but then was walking into clag. I'd had such an amazing treat, I couldn't see the point in plodding on in clag, so I decided to come back down and crash about in some woodland for the afternoon. On my way down I met a pair of ladies coming up, looking somewhere between 65 and 75, another with a dog, then a man. The two ladies were doing the round I think and looked very disapproving when I said I hadn't walked to the summit
Quite. Lazy a***.On my descent I could see the cloud really started to come into the east. So it was a funny little morning I'd spent on an easy track, but what a joyous one!
097e No more Cairngorms views by Emma Kendon, on Flickr097f The Allt Dubh being dubh by Emma Kendon, on Flickr097g Sun and haze by Emma Kendon, on Flickr100 Stonechat looking winchatty by Emma Kendon, on Flickr101 Dog walker and not by Emma Kendon, on Flickr103 Big trees and mini trees by Emma Kendon, on Flickr105 Two of 3 buzzards - one trailing something by Emma Kendon, on Flickr106 Cant see what its trailing by Emma Kendon, on Flickr108 Ice and winter colours by Emma Kendon, on Flickr110 Activity centre's zipwire by Emma Kendon, on Flickr
