Bird Camp Reunion - Speyside Birding Day 3

Bird Camp Reunion - Speyside

7 June 2026

Craigellachie NNR

Today, despite going to bed no earlier than midnight, we woke up at 6:00am, and headed to Craigellachie NNR, just outside Aviemore. When we arrived, we were treated to great views of up to 4 Ospreys, as well as a Kestrel.

Osprey

Osprey

Ospreys were once a very rare bird, with Speyside being their historic stronghold. The famous pair at Loch Garten, arrived from Scandinavia and nested, back in 1954. Since then, they have spread far and wide, now being a fairly common raptor in most of Scotland, and ever-increasing in England and Wales.

Great Spotted Woodpecker male

feeding chicks

Once everyone had arrived, we went to join the ringers in the forest. While watching the demonstration, I heard my first Cuckoo of the year. We were lucky enough to release some of the birds, most of which were Siskins, Coal Tits, and Great Tits. After the ringing, the two groups switched activities, and I went up to look for Pied Flycatcher, among other scarce birch forest specialists, such as Wood Warbler. On the way, we stopped briefly to watch a Little Grebe sat on a nest. Eventually, we reached the Pied Flycatcher nest box.

Little Grebe sat on nest

While we were busy watching the Great Spotted Woodpecker, which was feeding its young in a nest cavity, the male Pied Flycatcher appeared. For the next 30 mins, we watched the pair bringing insects and feeding their chicks. We also saw another male, further down the hill. The Pied Flycatcher, was my 199th bird for the year, though only my 139th in Scotland (going to Tahiti and France gave a big boost!).

Male Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher at the nest box

A rather elusive adult female Pied Flycatcher 

Sadly, although I heard a very distant Redstart, I couldn't find a Spotted Flycatcher (which would have been my 200). When we got back to the car park, we saw a Song Thrush fledgling, and learnt from Felix and his mum that there were two Wood Warblers when we were away! Although I was disappointed to miss such a cool species (my favourite bird song is that of the Wood Warbler), I couldn't complain with all the other good birds we had seen and people we had met.

Thanks to Ruth Edmonds for organising such an amazing event.