At 0845 on Saturday 10 Oct 09 after another early start I arrived at the Cairngorm car park to sunshine and light winds. Unfortunately, as I headed up the path that leads from the car park to the summit of Ben Macdhui the weather deteriorated. From nowhere a bank of cloud moved in that restricted visibility at times to less than 10m and the wind strength also increased. On the plateau conditions were such that I would have had to step on a Ptarmigan to see one. However, I had never climbed the second highest peak in the United Kingdom before so I continued and reached the summit in just over two and a half hours.
 Snow Bunting, Ben Macdhui - Saturday 10 Oct 09. One of at least five birds seen at the summit.
 Summit of Ben Macdhui - Saturday 10 Oct 09
 Summit of Ben Macdhui - Saturday 10 Oct 09
After a bite to eat and a mug of hot coffee I headed back down the path. It was then that the cloud dissipated as rapidly as it had accumulated to reveal stunning views of the plateau and adjacent Munros. I was then able to regularly scan the plateau with my binoculars on route to the summit of Cairngorm. It was during one of those scans that I had the good fortune to see the head of a Ptarmigan behind a clump of rocks.
 Ptarmigan, Cairngorm - Saturday 10 Oct 09
As I walked slowly towards the motionless bird I spotted a second bird to the right of the first.
 Ptarmigan, Cairngorm - Saturday 10 Oct 09
When I was within approximately 20m of the two birds the first began to call very softly. Both Ptarmigan then stood up and a third bird revealed itself from behind the rocks. The now very wary birds began to first walk, then run and finally fly away from my position and disappeared beyond a rise in the ground.
 Ptarmigan, Cairngorm - Saturday 10 Oct 09
 Ptarmigan, Cairngorm - Saturday 10 Oct 09
To finally get really good views of Ptarmigan (a UK resident species) whilst ‘standing by’ DAUNTLESS in build was immensely satisfying. On one of my previous visits to the area I did briefly spot two birds fly over a ridge but that was in very wet and windy conditions. Apart from that I had heard them and come across a carcass.
 Ptarmigan, Cairngorm - Saturday 10 Oct 09
Hopefully within the next year or two I will get the opportunity to see as well as hear a Corncrake on one of the islands to the West or North of the Scottish mainland.
Good birding,
Tony T BSc (Hons) Geosci (Open) | 
