Thursday, May 07, 2015
Yesterday was wet and windy, but late afternoon I went for a short drive to Ardmair - and then, on a whim, a bit further to the Keanchulish Estate. I was just contemplating the mixed messages given by a new walkers' gate on the one hand and a large yellow sign warning "Beware of the bull" on the other, when I heard a short burst of reeling from the scrubby area between me and the main road.
I walked back towards the road and looked down on a waterlogged area with brambles and nettles - ideal for grasshopper warblers. However, although I heard a couple of longer bursts of reeling, I failed to see the bird; several willow warblers and two male blackcaps were present, and a cuckoo called from up the hill. Finally the rain drove me home.
An early visit this morning failed to bring any reeling at all and there was no point hanging around in the freezing wind with spatters of rain. There was compensation back at home with a pipit (probably meadow) in the back yard, which I snapped through the bedroom window.
An hour later we were having lunch when I noticed a bird on the wall at the back that didn't look quite like the usual house sparrows. It was a twite.
He sat quite still, sometimes with his eyes closed; and I would have suspected him of sunbathing but for the fact there was no sun. Then he turned round - and I was left in no doubt as to his reason for being there. I don't know what the plant is, I'll have to look that up - then put one in our garden.
Meanwhile Greger took delivery of two items of furniture from Ikea, and put the chest-of-drawers together without much trouble.
The second item is a sofa-bed and he reckons assembling that will take all day tomorrow. He's now watching the election stuff on the telly and is moaning about all the people who vote Tory. (He has no vote in the general election.) Although generally Labour, I've tactically voted LibDem; but I fear the SNP will sweep the board, with Charles Kennedy losing this particular seat.
// posted by Christine @ 2:42 PM 
