Christine's walking & birds blog

More than a week into September, and I haven't posted a blog; but there's little to report bird-wise, and we're not yet ready to attempt another hill walk. This sparrowhawk was in the Coigach area seven days ago; it flew low across the road in front of my car and settled on a wall by Loch Raa.


Seems an odd place for a sparrowhawk, with few trees and bushes and definitely no hedgerows.

Today we went to Rosehall and did some foraging. Half a punnet of blueberries (they're getting a bit soggy now - we left it too late) was enough to have with some ice-cream while Greger found a few chanterelle mushrooms to fry with our steak.  We wouldn't consider picking any other kind of mushroom and I wouldn't pick these at all on my own; but he's always known chanterelles because they grow in the forest where he grew up and his family love them.

I walked further into the forest, seeing lots of goldcrests, coal tits, a great spotted woodpecker, and a spotted flycatcher.


There were a few bright meadow pipits about, and a family of stonechats with some very young-looking fledglings.


Two buzzards were seen, but there was no sign of the jay we saw briefly last time we were here (worthy of note because it was my first Scottish jay).