Sunday, July 21, 2013
What heat wave?!
This is the weather map that appeared in the Guardian at the beginning of last week. See the dark cloud and raindrop in the far north-west of a country otherwise in the grip of a heatwave? Yep, that's where we were.
But driving through Scotland on Saturday was pleasant enough. Greger decided on a diversion to get away from the fairly boring A9, and high on a single-track road I spotted a male hen harrier quartering a distant slope. We couldn't hang around as this was only a passing place, but I got a record shot.
Next stop was the Glenshee ski area south of Braemar. A bright butterfly with ginger body-hair was patrolling a grassy gully and landing now and then on thistles. I've since learnt that it was a Dark Green Fritillary; fairly common, but a new one for me and a lovely one.
On another high road near Tomintoul we pulled into a layby to look at the Cairngorm mountains. Across the road, just up the bank beyond the fence, a covey of red grouse foraged in the heather. There are five in this picture, although Greger counted at least eight.
After that, the weather was mostly cloudy, windy and cold. A day at Achnahaird brought a knot; four greenshanks were also present.
On another grey day we drove down to Poolewe and did the Kernsary circular walk, setting out south-east along the River Ewe. The first part of the walk was on a road and pleasantly wooded; but the wind kept the leaves in constant motion and made searching for small birds difficult.
It wasn't until we were on the rugged path high above the loch that we had some good sightings.
Two red-throated divers came flying over cackling. They flew round and round but ever higher, and I nearly fell over backwards trying to follow them with the camera.
We walked on a bit further, and a large bird flew up from the loch-side (on the map, at the marker between 8 and 9 kilometres). With its neck held straight out it momentarily fooled us but then we realised that it was only a heron. As I turned away, another large bird sailed into view over the ridge to the east and we gazed up in disbelief. It was a blooming white-tailed eagle!
We swapped bins and camera back and forth but the camera remained on autofocus and so we ended up with very dark images. Although I've always said that I'm not much bothered about seeing white-tailed eagles (because they're re-introductions, they're not as beautiful as the goldens, etc) I have to admit I was won over. It was a very surprising and special way to see one; an oddly moving experience.
During this week we did only one hill-walk, and we kept it till the last day. Although the cloud was down over the hills, we drove round to Culnacraig again and went up onto our old friend Ben Mor Coigach to bag the pointed top of Sgurr an Fhidhleir, which we'd by-passed on two previous trips.
The weather improved as we climbed, stopping frequently to admire misty views of sea and the Summer Isles. By the time we reached the top the sky was blue and the sun was shining.
But first we were treated to a magical panorama, almost as though we were in a plane. A layer of cloud/mist lay below us, with neighbouring hills gradually becoming visible as it dispersed. Greger took the landscape below with his mobile.
The only birds of the walk were wheatear and meadow pipit; and as we made our way down, a tiny lizard and a small frog were seen near the sandy path.
On departure day, because of the heat down south and because good weather had finally arrived in the north-west, we decided to make our way slowly through Scotland with several stops, aiming to reach the motorway network in the evening and then drive through the cool of the night. This was one of our stops, where we stretched our legs along the old military road across the moors. The dark blocks in the middle distance are shooting butts, for hiding behind while you blast red grouse to kingdom come; and to the left of the track near its low point is a 17th century bridge.
It was grouse I was hoping for, but a sudden urgent "kee-kee-kee" made me look up to see two merlins flying in circles above me. I think the first picture is of a male bird, while the second shows a female. They were so close, and moved so quickly, that it was very hard to snap off any shots.
The birds were clearly agitated but I was on a public track with no intention of walking into the heather where they presumably had a nest/young; so before retreating altogether I knelt on the little grassed-over bridge to make myself small and unthreatening, and watched some fish darting to and fro.
Brown trout or sea trout maybe? The water in the burn looked dangerously low. After a while I could no longer hear the merlins so I risked standing up again and taking a look round.
The lovely silent moors stretched away in all directions; but of the merlins, there wasn't a sign. I walked slowly back up to the main road with many a backward glance - but I never saw them again.
Another stop was along the River Dee near Braemar, where a large mixed flock of tits gave hopes of a crested (not to be!). However, among them were a siskin and my first spotted flycatcher of the year.
We took turns driving home and arrived at about one o'clock this morning. And you know where we later heard had the hottest temperature in the UK? Aviemore, near where we spent quite a lot of the day! We actually found England to be quite cool. Aaaaargh!!!
// posted by Christine @ 1:50 PM 
