Christine's walking & birds blog

As we sat in the heather ten feet apart, I remarked to Greger that people would think we'd had words.


In fact it was just that, in our old age, we have very specific requirements as to our seating arrangements for lunch - and we couldn't find two suitable places closer together. Greger likes a flat rock, otherwise he gets backache, while I need leverage to help me get up again afterwards.

We had walked up the Gleann na Sguaib both to get some hill-walking training without actually going up a hill, and because I'd had a panic attack about ring ouzels. It's some weeks since the Assynt wildlife site mentioned fledged ouzels near the Bone Caves, and I suddenly felt that the summer was slipping by so fast that they'd all be gone before we could see any. The nice couple we met in the Lael Forest Garden had mentioned climbing Beinn Dearg recently without seeing any ring ouzels, so we decided we would check the place out. After all, when you're Munro-bagging, you don't have time to look too carefully. We'd only seen them here (in 2010 and 2013) because they'd been right by the path. But by the time we'd finished lunch we were despondent. There was no sign of them.

A bright male stonechat was chasing two juveniles - presumably, not his. This is one of the fledglings.


I've checked back over the three walks we've done up to the tops here (plus one as far as the bealach) and found that we've never seen stonechats before.

We walked up a bit further and scanned the rough steep slopes beyond the gorge until our arms ached. And then, at the same moment, we both called out "There's one!" We lost it immediately but kept looking, and finally saw two - seemingly in some aggro with smaller birds (again, stonechats, we thought).


I could manage only a poor shot of one bird, but as the first spots of rain fell we set off down the path elated. Ring ouzels were still breeding in this lovely, rugged valley!