Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Yesterday, late afternoon, I walked up the quarry road and Greger met me from the hill-path. He had seen a nice bright stonechat, so we went back that way. I felt a bit bad lingering to photograph the stonechat because a female was also now present and they were alarm-calling. But they're going to get very disturbed if they're nesting there, because it's right next to the path.
So I went back today. It was the first really warm day we've had, and after puffing up the quarry road I wished I'd put shorts and T-shirt on.
A rosy male redpoll touched down for a nanosecond in the distance.
At least three cuckoos were busy around the river area.
A tree pipit was singing and displaying, but was very wary.
As for the possible black grouse; I discovered today that cuckoos have all sorts of odd calls, so maybe that's what I heard. However, the habitat is spot-on for black grouse; pasture-land and moorland, with scattered trees of various sizes, mostly pine and birch. I won't give up.
// posted by Christine @ 7:51 AM 
