ANAGACH WOODS
True Caledonian Forest within easy reach of town
This great piece of old Caledonian Forest was bought from the Seafield Estate in 2002 for the community of Grantown. Being Caledonian Forest, a number of rare Scottish birds benefit from the wood and none more so than the Capercaillie. This is a declining species in the area, with recent counts showing 50% of the birds disappearing. Wet summers are no help when chicks cannot dry themselves in dense vegetation. The woods here have a mixture of habitats, from peat bogs to open glades, offering these birds mixed insect food in their early life. You have to be lucky to find them but a good walk covering many of these areas may well come up trumps. Crested Tit is here, as well, with old dead pines an ideal place to dig a nest hole in the rotting timber. All three species of crossbill have been seen and your ears have to be good to pick them out by sound alone! Spring sees a mixture of new birds to look for, such as Tree Pipit, Redstart, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, Spotted Flycatcher and tree-nesting Swifts. The river adds some local classics, including Osprey, Goldeneye, Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser. Check the stones for whitewash and a feeding Dipper, while both Grey and Pied Wagtails are possible in summer. Both Common Sandpiper and Oystercatcher are likely with the bridge a great place to look for them. I was shocked to see Common Terns feeding here but have not got a clue where they may be breeding. Winter 2016/17 saw large numbers of Waxwings in the area, as well as five Hawfinches down from the bridge. Don’t forget to look for dragonflies in summer.