Sunday, March 31, 2024
My first chiffchaff of the year! It was a short way up the quarry road, its singing heard from the car as I drove to the walkers' car park.
I also stopped at Loch Droma for a brisk walk along the dam - and thought I'd found another frog-spawning site. Then I realised, from the warty skin and the relatively short hind legs, that these were toads.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Yesterday was mostly wet so I stayed in and caught up with various domestic tasks, which made me feel very virtuous. Today started bright and sunny so I drove to Ardmair hoping....and there they were, my first wheatears of the year!
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Monday, March 25, 2024
A sparrowhawk was sitting on rocks at Ardmair on this bright but very cold day.
Monday, March 18, 2024
Yesterday we drove south down the coast road. Two greenshanks were spotted at the head of Little Loch Broom.
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Pulling in at the dam I scanned the wall and saw a mistle thrush and three meadow pipits. The idea of a walk here in the bright cold weather was inviting - but I couldn't resist driving on to Silverbridge on the off-chance of seeing the crested tit again. The two grey wagtails had become three, and two of them - presumably both males - were involved in territorial disputes, flying up and down the river and calling repeatedly. One also went up in a display flight, which I've never seen before. A dipper was also fairly vocal.
Crossbills were once more in evidence, with two males (again!) having a bit of aggro; the individual with the more deeply red colouring seemed to chase the yellow/orange (possibly younger) bird.
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Coal tits were very vocal, pairing up and beginning to claim territory. I still haven't seen a goldcrest this year, despite several visits to forested areas; and although I scanned high and low - from pine canopies to areas of carr - I wasn't lucky with the crestie. :o(
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
I walked the river path, which winds through leggy pines with neck-breakingly high canopies - a difficult habitat when searching for a tiny bird. Crossbills diverted me time and again, being very vocal and sometimes visible.
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I returned to the river walk this morning with no hope really of relocating the tit - it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. But I enjoyed my walk, and as well as the crossbills saw siskins, chaffinch, red kite, wren, grey wagtail, and dipper. Stopping briefly at the dam on the drive home I failed to see any snow buntings, but did spot three bullfinches feeding in nearby larches.
Friday, March 08, 2024
A walk along the river paths at Silverbridge brought a dipper, seen from the high viewpoint on the eastern bank.
A pair of grey wagtails were near the old bridge at the far end; they called constantly to each other as they roamed the slabby rocks, searching restlessly for prey in damp crevices.
A male mallard was a surprise on the river in this forested area, as was a cormorant, fishing in a dark pool back near the road.
A red kite floated over the treetops and crossbills were heard but not seen.
Sunday, March 03, 2024
The weather was sunny when I left Ullapool but heading north I drove through showers, and as I turned to the south-east at Ledmore Junction I was faced with a huge mass of low, dark cloud shedding rain across the high moors. The ditch near Loch Craggie held two frogs and a newt - no spawn yet. On the loch itself I could see only a female goosander and a pair of mallards.
I spotted a male crossbill in the top of a distant larch tree; I just snapped some pics from where I was without trying to get closer, as it's possible that breeding is underway.
I'm not sure if the extensive forestry operations currently being carried out in the area are down to landowners just harvesting the timber all at the same time, or if they're part of a big project which aims to replace non-native species with native trees. I don't know if the spruce that I see are Norway or Sitka spruce - but Sitka spruce will, apparently, have to go. Similarly I don't know if the larch I see are European or hybrid larch - and hybrid larch will also go. I've seen crossbills here feeding in spruce, pine, and larch - so it seems to me that whole swathes of crossbill food are being laid waste. Something else to worry about.
A pair of stonechats were presumably back on territory as the male was singing; and four whooper swans and a male goldeneye were on distant Cam Loch.
