Final Thursday

The final morning dawned bright and early, and the frantic packing governed those last precious few hours we could afford at the Grant Arms Hotel. Breakfast was a frantic affair packed with goodbyes, beginning with Dawn and Pete strolling towards us. It would be the last time we saw them for what would probably be a very long time, but farewells were surprisingly brief and everything that needed to be said was spoken aloud. As a parting gift, they gave us yet another tipoff for a local woodland, a sure site for Crossbills, which was the one bird on Scottish Bucket List we hadn’t managed to find. Poorhouse Woods, part of the Anagach Community Trust, had chosen an odd location, being in behind a bustling leisure centre, but I guess it had its methods. But then again, Anagach was no normal woodland, although it felt secluded enough to be. It was sandwiched beneath Grantown-on-Spey and the River Spey (spot the similarity between these locations), and therefore it seemed fitting that it should be run by local residents as part of the Trust. It is a huge swathe of Scots Pines, and is perfect habitat for so many species.

Next were Simon and Iolo, who were again at the big long table in the corner. We all shook hands and thanked each other, and I must admit, although I was sad to leave, it still felt amazing to be able to talk to such brilliant, renowned people in this manner! After handing out my business cards (because why not?), we left the dining room for what would be the last time. We threw the last few things we had left out into the suitcase, and met Sue and Marion in reception. It had been the best few days of my life, and these two had taken a huge role in instigating it. Sue, seeing my slight upset at the end of it all, whisked us off to her office, where the Club’s magic happens, in order to meet two of the biggest and friendliest dogs.

It was quite the farewell, and I have to be honest I wasn’t expecting it! It was such a kind gesture, and I will never forget it. But for now, we left through the rotating doors for the final time, and clambered into the car, bound for Poorhouse Woods. On arrival, we found several Chaffinches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker scoffing lazily at the feeders. We ambled through the sunlit Scots Pine woodland, with the uneven ground often dipping into the undergrowth, giving a truly wild sense despite us being 100 metres from the car park. It was fittingly picturesque, and even though we didn’t see the Crossbills, that just gives me more reason to come back! The trees’ thin branches allowed the warmth to bathe everything around us, and birdsong floated into the eardrums of our minds as we followed a Treecreeper hopping up a distant trunk. It seemed fitting that for so long we had endured the brunt of the Scottish wind and rain, but on our final day the sun had reared its head and blessed us with its pleasant power.

Eventually, time grew short and it was finally time to go. The foxy red MG pulled off down the lane towards Inverness, filled with compiled memories of six of the best days of my life. And they all exist in my mind, but also on the pages of this blog. Its been an amazing month-long journey to relive it all, and the feelings have returned to their true form on The Bovey Birder. Beneath us, a patchwork of moorland, fields and mountains spread for miles in every direction, and it provided a fleeting final glimpse of what we had experienced over the last six days. These moments, they make the memories skip through your mind at 100mph, and it’s almost involuntary. Its just what happens.

I really hope you’ve enjoyed this series, and keep an eye out for some more posts soon!