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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.

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Birds seen during an afternoon excursion into Upper Glenlivet consisted of: Greylag Goose (two pairs prospecting for nesting sites), Teal (one pair on the river in open grouse moor), Mallard (pairs at three locations), Red Grouse (displaying males very common on the moor, the females probably having lost their first clutches due to recent heavy snow), Pheasant (in woodland and farmland), Grey Heron (two singles hunting along the river, probably from the heronry at Auchbreck), Oystercatcher (mostly on farmland), Golden Plover (groups of seven and three, on a stubble field and sheep pasture, presumably having been driven down from the hills by recent snow), Lapwing (loafing birds and displaying pairs on both farmland and mixed heather/grassland), Curlew (small numbers on farmland), Redshank (a single on farmland, presumably having been driven off higher ground like several other species), Snipe (common and very obvious against the snow in mixed heather / rough grassland), Common Gull (at least 50 attending the lambing as they do every spring before moving to higher ground to breed), Feral Pigeon, Jackdaw, Starling, Blackbird, House Sparrow (around farm buildings), Woodpigeon (on farmland and over some upland areas), Skylark (four on stubble),
Song Thrush (searching for worms on village lawns at the start of the trip), Mistle Thrush (small numbers on farmland), Dunnock (singing in the village), Pied Wagtail (two singles on farmland), Meadow Pipit (mostly displaced to farmland but a few on the moor) and Chaffinch (a flock of 20 on last year's stubble).
Earlier in the day, a walk around Tomintoul produced all the usual highland village birds (Starling, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Blackbird, Collared Dove, Jackdaw, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Siskin) plus a few pairs of Lapwings, a pair of Curlews, two Snipe and an Oystercatcher sharing snow-covered fields with numerous Meadow Pipits and twelve Skylarks. Heading out of Tomintoul towards Grantown-on-Spey, a Wheatear was on the roadside near the quarry. 
Some notable birds near the Glenlivet Community Hall were six House Martins (possibly preparing to nest) and a singing Willow Warbler (the first of the trip, as the temperature starts to rise and the snow continues to melt.

Mammals recorded today include 93 Red Deer on a distant hillside, two Roe Deer near Drumin Castle, three pairs of Brown Hares, a single Mountain Hare and large numbers of Rabbits. 
Flowering plants along the lower reaches of the Livet and Avon were Gaen, Marsh Marigold, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Dog's Mercury, Wood Anemone, the last of the Coltsfoot and emerging Sweet Cicely.
Birds of the day were a Reeves's Pheasant on the edge of a conifer stand, two immature Golden Eagles displaying over a distant hillside and a Woodcock flying over the car at dusk.

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