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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.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Heavy snow has meant being confined to the area immediately around Balneden Farmhouse, Strath Avon for the last 24 hours. Birds seen in the tetrad so far are:

Mallard (two pairs, one in suitable breeding habitat), Goosander (a drake and two ducks on the Avon), Red-legged Partridge (small numbers –usually twos – at multiple sites), Pheasant (released birds encountered everywhere), Buzzard (up to two soaring and mewing over a conifer plantation), Oystercatcher (several pairs flying up and down river, calling), Lapwing (small numbers - up to six together - waiting patiently in snow-covered fields), Curlew (one singing, unseen, and one flying overhead), Black-headed Gull (small numbers – ones and twos – commuting through the strath), Common Gull (larger numbers – six to eight – wandering around farmland), Feral Pigeon (up to five birds frequenting Easter Fodderletter farmyard), Woodpigeon (ubiquitous, with around 30 together feeding in a single field), Great Spotted Woodpecker (one bird in the vicinity of cottages – possibly visiting bird feeders), Kestrel (a male hunting near Kirkmichael House), Jackdaw (up to 40 birds around Easter Fodderletter Farm buildings) Rook (one with other corvids at Easter Fodderletter Farm), Carrion Crow (small numbers at various locations), Raven (a single flying near Kirkmichael House), Goldcrest (singing birds, lone birds and one in a feeding flock with tits and Meadow Pipits), Blue Tit (singing birds, small numbers and as part of a feeding flock), Coal Tit (singing birds, small numbers and as part of a feeding flock), Wren (singing birds here and there), Blackbird (singing, calling and flying across the lanes), Song Thrush (one or two feeding quietly), Mistle Thrush (noisy, common and prominent. At least one feeding young. Others chasing intruders), Robin (singles at many sites), Grey Wagtail (a male in suitable breeding habitat), Meadow Pipit (the most ubiquitous species. Many lurking in channels of meltwater flowing through the snowfields), Chaffinch (ubiquitous, some singing), Greenfinch (at least two singing near houses) and Siskin (quite large numbers (c20) in conifers and alders at one site along the river) [31 species]. 


The snow eventually began to thaw about tea time, which permitted a short trip to a few favoured sites. In particular, the north eastern corner of Boat of Garten (between the road bridge and the sawmill) produced the following: Mallard (a pair on Milton Loch), Tufted Duck (a pair on Milton Loch), Goldeneye (five, including two pairs, on the Spey), Red-breasted Merganser (a pair on the Spey), Goosander (a single female on the Spey), Little Grebe (a pair on Milton Loch), Moorhen (one on Milton Loch), Oystercatcher (one in fields east of the Spey), Common Sandpiper (one, alarm-calling, beside the Spey), Black-headed Gull (six in fields east of the Spey), Herring Gull (one over the Spey), Woodpigeon (6 in fields east of the Spey), Jackdaw (30+ going to roost at Milton Loch), Great Tit (one in roving flock with Chaffinches), Sand Martin (30+ feeding very low over Milton Loch), Swallow (one feeding very low over Milton Loch), Dipper (one downstream of the bridge over the Spey), Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush (one singing male of each), Meadow pipit (around 30 feeding in fields east of the Spey in the company of 20+ Siskins), Chaffinch (singing) and Siskin (see entry above) [22 species}. Finally, a Stonechat was on a fence line in the unlikely setting of the northern edge of Grantown-on-Spey (near the caravan park) and six Starlings were on wires back at Easter Fodderletter Farm.

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