2011 conference: excursion
We plan to lay on four excursions to show local birds and landscapes. Whether they all go ahead will be dependent on uptake. All of the excursions are now free. Packed lunches will be provided if you have booked a meal for the Sunday Lunch (either as full board or a separate meal)
1. Knockfarril (57°36'N, 4°30'W)
This will be a walk from the hotel to take in views of the local environment and some history. Walking distance is approximately 6 km (3 km one way) mostly on footpaths of varying gradient. Walking time is 1hr 45mins but more time will be needed for bird watching, photography and sight seeing. The walk crosses farmland, forestry plantation and heather moorland. From the hotel, the route rises southeast to the forest and a recently constructed Stone Maze. Continuing up through a forest block, the path emerges at the edge of a narrow heather moor with views south into Loch Ussie and north across Strathpeffer to Ben Wyvis (1046 m). On this ridge is sited a small memorial to those who lost lives in an earth-quake in Armenia in 1988. (Dingwall Academy pupils raised £28,000 for relief). The ridge dips and rises to the Iron Age Fort of Knockfarril, occupied 1,000 years ago giving commanding views all round, particularly to the crofts of Knockfarril to the south. The return to Strathpeffer takes us across farmland to the Victorian station with craft shops, childhood museum and tearoom. A detour to the carved Pictish stone, “Eagle Stone” and a short walk through the village ends at the entrance to the Ben Wyvis hotel.
Likely birds include: Red Kite; Buzzard; Raven and other corvids and farmland birds.
Recommended footwear - stout footwear.
Leader - Ronnie Graham
2. Nigg Bay coastal realignment project (57°44'N, 4°02'W)
Nigg Bay is the site of Scotland's first coastal realignment project, which was undertaken in 2003 by the RSPB. The purpose of the project is to create a new area of mudflat and saltmarsh to replace losses due to development and sea level rise, as well as to demonstrate the technique to decision makers. Post-breach monitoring of the site included a PhD study of the development of sediments, vegetation, invertebrates and wintering waterbird populations. The site can now hold up to 2,000 birds at high tide (depending on weather and tides) – about 20% of the Nigg Bay winter maximum. This visit will look at the development of the new intertidal habitats and the responses of wintering and breeding waders (and other waterbirds), and there will be plenty of opportunity for discussion! If time allows, we may also visit the freshwater wet grassland creation project (also at Nigg Bay) which is managed for breeding waders such as lapwing.
Bus journey (one way) 30 minutes. Walking distance approximately 3 km.
Likely birds: waders, waterfowl, gulls, Twite, Buzzard. The tide will be low neap.
Recommended footwear - stout footwear, though ideally rubber boots.
Leader: Steph Elliott
3. Munlochy Bay (57°33'N, 4°13'W)
Bus journey (one way) 40 minutes. This is a 3 hour walk, over 5.5 km, initially along the side of Munlochy Bay which comprises largely mud-flats, backed with salt-marsh and a small reed bed. At the mouth of the bay, there is a series of conglomerate cliffs with old sea caves. The second half of the walk is along the north shore of the Inverness Firth over a mixture of salt marsh and rocky shore. Likely birds are Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Wigeon, Mallard and Teal. The inland habitat is mixed farming and a game shoot, for Pheasants and Red-legged Partridge. The tide will be low neap.
Recommended footwear - stout footwear, though ideally rubber boots.
Leader: Brian Etheridge
4. Strathfarrar (57°25'N, 4°45'W)
Strathfarrar is an example of a Highland glen (valley) which still holds a remnant of the Caledonian Forest (semi-natural Scots Pine woodland) that once covered Highland Scotland. The trip is more for those interested in Highland scenery and landscape history than birds. The trip is restricted to 15, as we will be taking a mini-bus on a narrow private road that runs for 25 miles along the glen by the River Farrar, passing through birch woodland and ultimately rough grass and heather. There will be short walk into the remnant Caledonian pinewood, proving views of the surrounding mountain scenery. There will be few bird species to see, but we may see some pinewood birds like Crested Tit, and we should see Whooper Swans and other waterfowl on the loch. Possible raptors include Golden eagle, Buzzard, Peregrine and Merlin.
Bus journey (one way) 45 minutes plus 15 minutes up the glen. Distance to walk 3 km.
Recommended footwear - stout footwear.
