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Natural Connections

Modern life in Scotland is increasingly busy. The connections our ancestors had with nature and the land are being lost. As leisure time shrinks, or is filled with hi-tech experiences, opportunities to experience nature become fewer. And yet it is possible to connect with nature on a day to day basis. All around us, the great web of life continues to hold its shape, and nature continues its eternal cycles. Keep looking, listening, smelling, touching - and keep experiencing natural connections.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Today's Strathspey trip was notable for the weather - sunny and dry, with virtually zero percent cloud cover but still cold (particularly when exposed to the wind). The journey north was notable for Wigeon and Shelduck on trackside pools (especially in Strathallan) and the usual Pheasants plus newly arrived Oystercatchers and Black-headed Gulls (especially in Highland Perthshire). With the snow retreating, trackside Red Grouse and Red Deer were much less numerous with only two of the former seen (just south of Dalwhinnie). Similarly, Ravens were absent from their usual station in the Drumochter Pass. Roe Deer, however, were common and a Brown Hare was south of Kingussie.
Lapwings and Oystercatchers appeared again around Newtonmore with two Red-legged Partridges a nice addition. 
Kingussie seemed to be full of birds with singing Chaffinches and chirruping House Sparrows the most evident. Thirty Jackdaws rose to mob a Buzzard which appeared over the Main Street. At the Glebe Ponds, two Black-headed Gulls were new, and a single Moorhen emphasised that this is one of the most reliable sites in the region for the species. Other village birds included Dunnock, Robin, Collared Dove etc.
Kingussie Cemetery had two pairs of Oystercatchers (classically calling from the cemetery walls) and a singing Greenfinch. The extensive marsh to the east of there held up to a dozen Teal, a few Mallards, Lapwings and Oystercatchers and what seemed to me to be a very early pair of Redshanks (must check the books). 














The main marsh across the road held calling Curlews and two overflying Greylag Geese. Lynchat Loch had a pair of Mallards and the village there had more House Sparrows plus singing Greenfinch and Chaffinch.
Two pairs of Buzzards were over the underpass behind Lynchat. Climbing up past the souterrain, a group of 20 Carrion Crows were attending the sheep flocks with two Jackdaws and a Lapwing also present. Over to the west, a distant song might have been from a Redwing. Looking south, the views to the Cairngorms were fantastic, with the Insh Marshes spread out in the foreground.














(Part II tomorrow).

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