Saturday, January 10, 2015
We worked this morning while a hurricane-force wind brought hailstones smashing against the windows; but at midday we took a break. Driving south to the Dirrie Mor we parked at the end of Loch Glascarnoch and walked across the dam. It was a dreary scene, and there seemed to be no other life - except for two damp-looking red deer on the hillside.
But at the far end of the dam two small birds were swooping into the wind, making me think of sand martins - which of course they couldn't possibly be. They were snow buntings, and they went down on the windward side of the dam.
As we walked back two buntings (maybe the same ones) landed and began to forage on the ground ahead of us.
They scurried along every now and then to keep the same distance between us.
Eventually they flew up onto the wall where they were joined by a third individual. As we approached they all flew up, and through the noise of the wind we could hear a lovely trilling.
Ben Wyvis was partially covered in snow - and, for most of the time, in cloud. In the top half of the picture is the Aultguish Inn, which has been refurbished and is up for sale. A lonely enough spot to live - but it's less than an hour's drive to Inverness.
Then the wind started up again, clouds blew in and blotted out the view, and we hurried back to the car with sleet stinging our faces. Back home we worked for another hour or so, refreshed by our airy walk in the great outdoors, the smell of snow, and the sight and sound of the completely unexpected buntings.
(The first and last pictures were taken by Greger on his mobile.)
// posted by Christine @ 11:58 AM 
