This is a six day tour aiming to see Golden Eagle, Osprey, Capercaillie, Scottish Crossbill, Slavonian Grebe, Black Grouse, Crested Tit, Ptarmigan, Snow Bunting and in addition, on the May holiday, Dotterel. 

Click on the Dotterel and start the Speyside slideshow 

Possible bird list of 130 species. Maximum of 8 persons and two leaders. Larger groups by arrangement.

Dates: 23^rd-28^th April and 21^st- 26^th May 2010.

Hotel:  The Grant Arms Hotel incorporating the Birdwatching and Wildlife Club, Speyside on a Dinner, packed lunch, Bed and Breakfast basis. 

Cost: £699.00 per person.

Just £100 deposit per person secures your place.

Friday mid morning arrival in Inverness, you will be picked up and transferred free of charge to your holiday base in Speyside. We will get settled in and after a short presentation about your chosen birding break we will enjoy our lunch before heading off to see Black throated and Red throated Divers. Whilst on site, we will see our first Red Grouse, Golden Plover, Common Gull colonies and with luck Merlin. In past years we have picked up a variety of rarit ies which have included Wood Sandpiper, Waxwing and a rather late Glaucous Gull. With the first day coming to a close we will finish with a true Speyside speciality...Slavonian Grebe. In full breeding plumage these beautiful birds will make a wonderful climax for our first day.

In the morning, we will go for a short walk to look for Crested Tit and other Caledonian pinewood specialities. The Caledonian pine forest is a truly remarkable place and has a rich diversity of both animal and plantlife. Dawn within the fo rest is a beautiful experience and wandering amongst the ancient Caledonian Pines is wonderfully atmospheric. With Red Deer and Red Squirrel moving quietly through the ancient pines, it promises to be a memory you will never forget. At this time we will visit some excellent sites for Capercaillie, Black Grouse and Scottish Crossbill. Last year proved very successful and the same reliable sites will be visited this year. The forest is home to all three crossbill species, Common, Scottish and Parrot and we will dedicate as much time as we can to try to see such special species. 

No visit to Speyside would be complete without an excursion to the Cairngorms. We will have the option of walking on an upper trail or letting the train take the strain and take the funicular to enjoy Tea and Ptarmigan at the top. 4000ft up we should see thes e enigmatic birds hopefully supported by Snow Buntings. Last year was a typically successful year with Ring Ouzels, Ptarmigan, Snow Buntings and Dotterel all showing particularly well and the supporting pictures tell a fantastic tale of a truly wonderful day out. 

The Moray coast boasts some fantastic birding sites. None more so than Troup Head. As a part of your holiday we will take to the sea to watch Great Skua, Kittiwake, Black Guillemot, the fantastic mainland Gannetry and a real favourite for all....Puffins! During our last cruises we have seen pods of Bottlenoses Dolphins. This area is a real hotspot for them and we have never been disappointed. In the evening we will round the day off with a visit to a remarkable site for the friendliest Dippers in the country and a walk to see a cracking roding Woodcock population.

Raptors make everyone’s holiday and we will spend time at the Findhorn Valley watching for Golden Eagles hunting over the moors. The valley also has a range of other birds of prey, Peregrine, Merlin and Goshawk but is also excellent for mammals and we will certainly enjoy wonderful views of herds of Red Deer and Arctic Hares browsing the lowers slopes of the mountains. The valley has a small population of feral goats or as they are better known, Golden Eagle prey items. To round the day off we will visit another Speyside classic, the Osprey. This site is just perfect and such a beautiful setting with a range of supporting species such as Wood, Sedge and Grasshopper Warbler.

Our last day will visit some of our favourite sites and meet up will friends of Wild Caledonia. At this point we will meet other members of the team who study a range of wonderful species, Red Kite, Osprey and White tailed Eagle. So why not come on holiday, see some fantastic birds and meet the very people who work so hard to conserve some of Britain’s natural icons.