This Saturday was the final day in a series of upland bird identification training days that I have been responsible for planning, facilitating and delivering during my time at BTO.
We’ve had a whole range of people attend including hillwalkers, climbers, kayakers, mountain leaders, outdoor instructors, families, club members, teachers, Outward Bound staff, DofE leaders and even a fellow TCV Natural Communities trainee…
The courses were held throughout Scotland, from Loch Muick, Glenshee and Cairngorm in the east, Aonach Mor, Ben Nevis and Arrochar in the west and Ben Lomond and Schiehallion in the middle!
In total, more than 80 people attended the courses and the feedback from has been excellent. Participants have gone on to add casual sightings of upland birds on BirdTrack and/or completed one or more ‘Mountain Bird Survey’ booklets whilst out in the hills around Scotland – A great success in my book!
A major part of being able to run these courses came down to the organisations that I worked in partnership with. This included the Rangers from the Balmoral Estate, Cairngorm Mountain and NTS Ben Lomond, the John Muir Trust’s Schiehallion Property Manager/Biodiversity Officer and also their Ben Nevis Estate Conservation Officer, and not forgetting the Deputy Manager and staff at the Outward Bound Trust‘s Loch Eil Centre.
All of these people have helped by providing venues, mountain leaders and in some cases even transport. They have also helped to promote the project to their visitors both in the run up to the events and after the training days have been held, so a huge thank you is owed to them all!!
So now, without further ado – time for some photos from the training days…
A sunny day on Aonach Mor, after the indoor session at Outward Bound’s Loch Eil Centre
Filling out the ‘Mountain Bird Survey’ booklet on the slopes of The Brack, Arrochar
Lunch in the sunshine on the slopes of Ben Lomond
A bit wet on the summit of Cairngorm
A cloudy day in Glenshee
Heading out from the Loch Muick Visitor Centre, on route to Lochnagar
Sunshine on the slopes of Schiehallion
The training days have been superb, great to meet so many people with a keen interest in the mountain environment and great to be able to enthuse them and help them to learn more about the flora and fauna found in the uplands of Scotland.
Thanks for reading, until next time… 🙂