<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d7235362\x26blogName\x3dNatural+Connections\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_BLOGSPOT\x26navbarType\x3dLIGHT\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttps://naturalconnections.blogspot.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_GB\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://naturalconnections.blogspot.com/\x26vt\x3d-1938150495582669688', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>

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.

Friday, June 30, 2023

The main event of today was a couple of hours spent watching the mouth of the Spey at Tugnet. A big gull roost out on the mud contained mainly Herring Gulls (107) and Great Black-backed Gulls (54) with six Common Gulls. A couple of Common Sandpipers were flying up and down the banks of the river and both Arctic and Common Terns (the latter outnumbered by the former) were moving constantly overhead (arriving from the sea with fish and disappearing upriver, then heading back in the opposite direction). After a while, three smaller terns with more rapid wingbeats and a harsher call arrived from the sea and headed inland (without fish). I suspected they were Little Terns, and this was confirmed by the appearance of a pair, and then a second pair washing and preening on the rocks in front of me. I watched them for 20 minutes and obtained some passable digiscoped images. I then walked a little way upstream recording various passerines including Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Swift, Swallow, House Martin and Sand Martin. A little later, a watch of the Moray Firth produced a big gathering of Goosanders (approaching 100 birds) and small numbers of Gannet, Guillemot, Shelduck and Red-breasted Mergansers. In the cool still weather, many hirundines had resorted to feeding along the shingle beach and over the sea.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home