Sunday, October 06, 2024

Greger having received his card for ChargePlace Scotland (enabling him to use other chargers than Tesla's own) he wanted to try it out at Knockan Crag. I said I'd go with him for the ride and to look for possible migrants in the trees there. Having plugged in, we walked a short way up the trail and I spotted what looked like a chunky bird on a treetop in the small conifer plantation that surrounds a house down near the road. It was a male crossbill - the first I've seen here.


Leaving the crag car park we pulled into a lay-by quite close to the trees but failed to see the crossbill again. We drove home (where I discovered I'd lost a glove) and after lunch I drove back to the lay-by (where I found the glove!) and eventually a female crossbill flew up to do lookout duty.


She disappeared, and quite a long time passed before a male briefly showed.


I wondered if they are wandering further from the coniferous plantations "east of Ledmore", that have recently been drastically harvested, in search of food - but crossbills are known to roam about, and in any case, what was a first for me is not necessarily a first for them! It was only by chance that I happened to spot one today.

Chaffinches and siskins were also present in the plantation - but snapping two of the latter, I failed to see the bird on the tree top which looks to me like a stonechat.


It's always good to see crossbills in a new location, so I feel my long bird drought has been broken; but a jackdaw flying over chattering to itself was the only other bird I spotted.

// posted by Christine @ 11:23 AM
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