Moffat Golden Eagle Festival Day 1

11/09/25

The tour began in a typical Scottish mountain range, characterized by abundant sheep grazing and a division between heather and grassland. The birds we observed were Meadow Pipits, Kestrels, Buzzards, Ravens, and House Martins. Despite it being September, it was delightful to still see some butterflies, including Large Whites and Red Admirals. The highlight of the spot was the mountain goats perched high on a mountain cliff.

Our next stop was a central point for British rewilding efforts. This project has been progressing for 25 years, and the change is clear with the planting of numerous deciduous trees and a diverse array of plants and lichens. The woods resonate with the calls of various birds, including goldfinches, nuthatches, linnets, and blue tits. We hoped to catch a glimpse of the Golden Eagle, but were unsuccessful. Nonetheless, we enjoyed seeing buzzards, ravens, and kestrels soaring along the ridgelines. The most important aspect was witnessing the remarkable habitat restoration and observing how much a landscape can transform in such a short time. Interestingly, with the removal of sheep and deer fences to keep grazing low, there are now alpine plants growing in the bottom of the valley.

We then reached one of Scotland's largest waterfalls, where the water powerfully crashed down, creating an impressive sight. This was a particularly scenic part of the tour. While driving around the Moffat area, we unexpectedly spotted a red squirrel darting across the road, and we managed to keep it in view as the squirrel ran along the fence before disappearing. Additionally, we saw a brown hare in a field in the upper sheep fields. We also made a brief stop to admire the southern mountain range, where we were fortunate to witness a peregrine falcon swiftly flying from one peak to another.

Following the stunning waterfall, we proceeded to the second walk of the tour, a pleasant stroll to a bothy situated in the heart of the Southern Uplands. As it was raining, we took shelter and waited in hopes of spotting more birds in flight. We observed kestrels, buzzards, and ravens. Along the walk, there was a small upland stream where we enjoyed excellent views of two dippers bobbing and singing, the only aquatic songbird in the UK. We also saw a grey wagtail and numerous butterworts, a type of carnivorous plant. I can't forget to mention we also had a hat trick of herons as well.

At last, the moment we had all been waiting for, when a large adult female golden eagle appeared, gliding over the ridge. It was followed by buzzards and a kestrel, both roughly half the size of this majestic eagle. After spending the entire day trying, this was an incredible moment, and everyone was thrilled to witness this sky royalty in the southern uplands of Scotland, we had prolonged views for about five minutes before the eagle powered across to another distant ridge. What a way to conclude the day! Thank you to the guests for their perseverance throughout the day; we were certainly rewarded, and it was a very enjoyable day.