Christine's walking & birds blog

I walked up the quarry road in bright sunshine and the inevitable cold wind. A narrow-bordered bee hawk-moth was nectaring on birdsfoot trefoil. 

A dipper was seen on the upper reaches of the Ullapool river; it was food-carrying so I didn't linger.  Likewise with two agitated mistle thrushes. Willow warblers and cuckoos were heard - and I had a glimpse of two cuckoos chasing across the moorland until they were lost behind the trees. On the hill path, I found a few palmate newts still in the largest puddle; imprints in the mud show that the path is also used by mountain bikers. I suppose enough survive each year to keep coming back (the newts, I mean). A butterfly landing on the path ahead turned out to be a painted lady - my first for several years, I think. A green hairstreak landed nearby.

A soft "jip, jip" ahead alerted me to the presence of crossbill, and I grabbed a poor pic into the sun of a male bird before it flew.

I turned left at the seat and went up to the higher top, where I was serenaded by a skylark. Grouse droppings were seen in a couple of places - probably red, as I've seen red grouse here once before. On the way down I noticed a patch of (probable) bearberry - although it seems I'm too late for the flowers as the ones in my photo are going to seed.

On the zig-zag path down to the road I snapped a scene of gladsome blue.....

  .....and listened to a close but hidden blackcap pouring out a song that was as welcome as that of the skylark on the summit. This was my first walk of any length for a long time, and I was relieved to find my fitness returning.