Golden Eagle Festival Day 2

12/09/25

The day began at a beautiful mountain range where a charming red kite soared overhead. The winds were ideal, attracting numerous birds of prey such as buzzards, kestrels, and corvids, including ravens and carrion crows. In the distance, we observed a golden eagle being harassed by a buzzard before it quickly vanished and then briefly reappeared. On the mountain peaks, there were four herds of mountain goats. The red kite continued to graceful fly directly above the guests, allowing some to capture lovely photographs.

Continuing our journey, Ewan noticed a stunning ringtail hen harrier gliding effortlessly over the high mountains, aided by the wind. In the woods, a blackcap was calling amongst many small birds like chiffchaffs and blue tits, along with a small flock of house martins. As with much of the day, the favourable winds brought numerous birds of prey into view. We saw more buzzards and kestrels along the ridges, making it a bad day for voles. After admiring the impressive rewilding project and discussing the landscape's improvements over just 25 years, we headed back to the car. On the short walk, one of the guests spotted another golden eagle powerfully flying at the mountain's peak, fortunately most of the guest managed to see this stunning eagle.

We made a brief stop at a large waterfall, where we saw kestrels and buzzards on the ridges, bringing the day's total to about 10 of each. It was astonishing. We then enjoyed lunch at a large reservoir, where a small group of crossbills flew into the plantation. After lunch, it was a true team effort today, with everyone contributing sightings, leading to more kestrels and buzzards. Then, a magnificent golden eagle appeared, soaring on the nearest ridgeline. The views were incredible as the eagle circled the same hunting spots twice before swiftly moving to the next ridgeline directly above us, being mobbed by buzzards and kestrels. The guest were thrilled with this sighting, bringing the total to three eagles for the day.

Following this excitement, we took a small walk and spotted two dippers bobbing on an upland stream, before the rain came crashing down. As we drove along the reservoir, we saw cormorants and goosanders. It was then time to conclude the day with the legendary beef tub expedition. The beef tub, named for its high natural barrier of dramatic mountains that keep cattle from escaping. We observed lovely flocks of house martins and a distant buzzard, which capped off an enjoyable day with 3 golden eagles, 20 kestrels, and 15 buzzards—truly a raptor fest.