Neil MacIver

@scotbird71.bsky.social

Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇸🇰 Slovakia

Braw couple o Munro’s in the Arrochar Alps yesterday in Beinn Ime & Beinn Narnain 👍 don’t think Islay like the Midge at the campsite at Beinglas though😬👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

BildBildBildBild

One of the Birds I like to see when in the Slovak Tatra is Spotted Nutcracker, 9 times outa 10 they just fly over your head making photos difficult so here’s my favorite flyby 👍🇸🇰

Bild

Braw walk up Kralova Hola 1946m in the Nizke Tatra today 🇸🇰👍 2 spotted Nutcracker fly over on the accent & wheatear & Black Redstart on the summit .. no Alpine Accentor seen☹️Sand Lizard & Adder on the way up 👍

BildBildBildBild

Black Redstart Nest in the Chicken coup Slovakia 🇸🇰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 coup empty just now but plenty cats about so I’ll have to keep an aye oot 🇸🇰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Bild

Braw 28k bike & hike yesterday up the Munro Beinn Eibhinn 1102m Long day for the Bairns so 1 summit was enough! Single Ptarmigan & a Golden Plover the best birds seen 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿@scottishbirding.bsky.social

BildBildBildBild

2013?on the summit of the Corbett Beinn Vuirich 903m .. the wife said carry the spades! In reality it is probably the Hardest day in the hills in my life. miles of knee deep crispy snow turned into a 12 hour trek & 3 hours walking in darkness to reach the car.. a day we will always remember👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Bild

Some years ago (1993-94) I was lucky enough to spend 2 summers surveying Dotterel in the Scottish Highland (pic under licence, tent in distance!), special birds, females can lay >1 clutch for diff males (polyandry), males provide all parental care. Sad to think of mountain plateaux without them:-(

Photo shows a Dotterel nesting on a montane plateu in Scotland with snow fields in the background

My closest ever photo of a Spotted Nutcracker about 20 years ago in the Vysoke Tatra Slovakia .. 🇸🇰 amazing what you see when just walking through the Tatra 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇸🇰

Bild

Braw Bike & Hike today from Loch Turret up the Corbett Auchnafree Hill, Common Sandpiper at the Lochside & RedKite Higher up also wind rain & low cloud 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🚴🏻‍♂️⛰️New Summit for the Bairns

BildBildBildBild

Braw walk last Friday up the Munro’s A Bhuidheanach Bheag & Carn Na Caim with the boys , Plenty Golden Plover & good to see 3 Dunlin on the plateau, also Snipe lower down 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏕️⛰️

BildBildBildBild

Braw drive through Torridon this morning, White Tailed Eagle & not 100% sure about this Diver in this plumage but I’ll go with Great Northern as beak looks too big for Black throated but happy to be corrected 👍

BildBildBildBild

Spent hours today in the forests around Zriedlova Dolina in freezing conditions but the effort paid off with my best ever views of Black Woodpecker, one landed not far from me & entered an old nest allowing for a photo of its exit 👍🇸🇰

BildBildBildBild

Very cold in Zriedlova Dolina today but a walk through the forest this morning produced this Marsh Tit , not the closest view but after hearing its call to distinguish it from Willow Tit 👍🇸🇰

BildBild

Braw wee local walk through the woods in Zriedlova Dolina Slovakia today.. Wild Boar tracks😳 and the best birds seen were a Middle spotted Woodpecker & a distant Hawfinch 👍🇸🇰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

BildBildBildBild