Cairngorms Life

It is so hot today, that the thought of walking up a hill was tiring let alone actually doing it. So the wife walked down to the village & I took the car down to The Mill, did a few chores & met the misses. We walked down Ford Road & you never guess what is at the end of the road? …. A FORD, no not the car, a river crossing. Not used much these days but the track down to the river is still there as can be seen in shot one. Now  you cross the River Garry via a foot bridge, from where shot 2 was taken, looking Northwards.

The river is very low at the moment as we have had a long, hot, dry spell, so on the walk South parallel to the river we did not expect any Salmon to be spotted. But we did see the Dipper below.

The next two shots are looking North up the river to the junction pool, which is where the Rivers Tilt & Garry  meet. This pool has a nostalgic soft spot for me, it is where I caught my first ever Salmon, all of 2 1/2 lbs but it got me very excited indeed (the next day I went further up the Garry & caught a splendid 13 1/3 lb Salmon, not caught one in 40 odd years of trying then two in two days). the second one from the same spot is looking South.

Further along on the walk we came across this huge bracket fungus, everyone was a s big as a dinner plate & beautiful in the dappled light.

The houses at the end of Ford Road are beautiful Atholl Estate cottages of which the next shot is typical. I should say a good ten feet above the river, but since we have been here they have flooded a couple of times, the threat is always there with a spate river like the Garry & now the village has contingency plans in place to offer shelter in the village hall for the residents.

No visit to this end of the village would be complete without stopping off at Jock’s garden, it is an absolute site of beauty, with him devoting so much time making it look wonderful. I think there are more plants in one arrangement than in the whole of our garden & he grows the vast majority from seed in his two greenhouses.

Then we had the luxury of just getting in the car & driving up those everyday getting longer hills.

 

This morning a wonderful young lady, called Megan,  from Tayside Bird Ringers came to our garden to ring some of our birds. In a 2 1/2 hour session she managed to ring 31 birds, a mammoth task for one person & as I was not   qualified to help other than with recording the data she got from the birds.

First the birds were caught in a mist net (like the Male Siskin in shot 1), then very carefully extract them (shot 2) , placed in a bag, before  :-

1/placing the appropriate size ring on their right leg.

2/ sexed & checking how old they were (by feather shapes, colour & how worn).

3/ if they had been brooding (by checking their brood patch)

4/ length of wing (from shoulder to tip)

5/ weighing them (in various size containers)

6/ releasing them.

Some of the birds like the Siskin were easy to collect the data from, but the Greater Spotted Woodpecker was a different kettle of fish, it was not so much the beak you had to worry about, but the very sharp claws it uses to grip on trees. Poor old Megan needed a couple of plasters for the blood that was drawn. Surprisingly enough apart from the Woody the Blue Tit was a bit feisty & had a fair peck on it.

The 31 birds were collected in just 4 sessions with the earlier ones being most productive, I think mainly down to the fact that as the saying goes “The early bird catches the worm”, or in this case the fact that the birds know that by 9am I would have been out daily to fill the feeders. After collecting the birds on each session, the net was rolled up so that for 30 minutes the birds could feed freely & not get caught up while feeding, then we let the net out for 15 & go from there. The exception to the rule was the 2 occasions we caught the Woody’s & you need to get to them asap.

The bird totals were made up as follows:-

14 Siskin, 6 Chaffinch, 2 each of Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Woodpecker & 1 each of House Sparrow, Dunnock, Blue Tit.

So below in order are , Male Siskin, Great Tit, young Male Blackbird then mature Male. Followed by ringing, weighing & releasing a male Woodpecker.

A most enjoyable morning, on a very warm summer bank holiday in Perthshire. Was hoping to get down to the Highland Games at the castle, but never made it so something for next year if I am still about.

 

 

Yesterday was a decent day (especially as it was my birthday) So we went for a walk up the Bruar Falls. Normally a walk I prefer to do out of the holiday season 1/ because it is peaceful & we have it to ourselves & 2/ there is a lot more water coming down them. Though there was plenty of people about it was fine, not much water coming down. Most days when there is plenty of water you will see Nae Limits (a local adventure company) taking a group down the falls on a canyoning exercise, jumping off the rocks or floating over the rapids. All of which makes some interesting shots for the camera, unfortunately none out today. I expect they were bungee jumping off the Garry Bridge or rafting down the River Tay today.

The walk is a circular one of maybe 1 1/2 miles, which sounds easy, but as you would expect on a deep long waterfall, it is a steep climb whichever way you wish to go. Atholl Estates have provided steps in the steepest parts & also plenty of viewing areas, to look at the falls. Though the annoying thing is people go off the provided path to see if they can improve their views, but it never does, but others follow & thus wear down the surrounding habitat.

The estate has been felling a large amount of the surrounding pine trees so at present the area looks a bit barren, but you can now note the growth of vegetation growing up beneath what was a dark canopy. Though they take out the pines, occasionally (as can be seen in my last shot below) a rouge Birch grows amongst them & the foresters tend to leave them, creating this bleak landscape with a solitary tall tree growing in it. A sight that I find really photogenic.

The bridge is one of two you cross (top & bottom of the walk) which I find beautifully built, using local stone & not sure how old but wonderfully built by true craftsman of a yesteryear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having spent a week down in Cornwall I have noticed just how much difference that 500 odd miles South makes to birds & plants. Many of the Spring/early Summer plants down South have finished, where ours our either not out or still blooming. Also with the birds, down there families of things like Sparrows are fledged & nearly feeding themselves, where here the later birds are still building nests.

When we left last weekend our House Martins had just returned & were flying around our artificial nesting shelves, we come back & as you can see the blooming Sparrows got in there first & even though I have 3 Sparrow hotels around the house they decided the House Martins didn’t deserve such luxury as ready made nest’s they did.

The Blackbirds are normally as early as the Thrushes (as seen inn last post), but even they are late as daddy Blackbird is showing in the next shot, collecting sultanas to feed the babes.

While the Dunnock is busy collecting food on the front lawn.

Below are some of the plants that have come out in the week we have been away.

 

   Azalea

  Rhodi.

 

  Pieres

 

  Bluebells just coming out.

 Primula

 Wild Garlic on our riverside walk.

Following on from previous articles I thought it would be good to show you how much later things actually come out up here. Admittedly as you can see from some of the shots the Daffs are starting to go over, but all else has just bloomed in the last few days. It has been a wonderful year for those Pom-Pom Primula  “things”, with such variety in colours. Primroses are spectacular, especially at dusk when they are iridescent. We do not have many Grape Hyacinths as they tend to take over, but they are looking splendid as well.

We think the mice have enjoyed some of our Fritillary, but what we have left are a cracking colour & in this rare bit of sunshine they show up well. As you can see from the shots of the Daffs some are being eaten as they die while others are in tip top condition. I particularly like the 4th shot showing the flies on it & if you look close I am chuffed with the fly hovering to the right of the flower.

Last two are of the Cherry blossom now fully out & the Water Marigold looking things that live on the edge of my pond.

As you can note I am not that good on names of plants, but I do enjoy the colour & pleasure they bring to the garden.

I am away for a week or so but I expect all will be different by the time we get back.

Not quiet over the frost stage up here in the frozen North, but it is getting warmer & I am starting to look forward to summer. Cut the lawn for the first time today, so now it will be the never ending task of it’s weekly trim, weather permitting of course. So that is a first for 2018.

Another first & it is normally our near tame Blackbirds, but this year it’s the Thrush. The discovery of a nest with young in it, so first of the season for that. We know somewhere there are baby Blackbirds as well as the parents are wondering around with a mouthful of worms. To add to the excitement this is the first year since we moved here that the Thrush has actually nested in our garden, we feed them all year round & up until this year they have always nested in the surrounding shrubs & we have never seen the babes fledge, hopefully this year we will.

Shall have to continue todays theme, the first time I have managed to get a photo of young Thrushes on the nest, a shot that was hard to get as there was a lot of foliage in front of the nest, as you can see from the first shot of Mum on the nest. If you can see her as she was so well camouflaged sitting there.

Hence in the second shot of the babes there are a lot of out of focus twigs around them, but I had no intention of disturbing them more than I had to to get the shot.

My biggest worry is that the Sparrowhawk must also have wee ones as it is catching a fair few birds on my feeders on a very regular basis at the moment & small near helpless baby Thrushes would be an easy target for them.

 

 

 

 

 

My last post I was praising the fact that Spring was here, I guess that jumped the gun a bit with that comment.  The reason being as I drew the curtains back this morning I was greeted with fresh snow on the distant hills, as you can see in my first photo, but the sky was clear & the sun was shining, so partial Spring maybe.

The next shot I would like to have had on here for Easter, but even the Mallards are later than most places for having their ducklings. This Mum was proud of her youngster, but the sad fact is she most probably started of with six or eight babes & the Crows & Jackdaws, that we have in abundance, have taken the others.

Just to show that the Hares of the other day were not just a freak & that they really are staying with us, the next shot shows they were there first thing this morning, though just two now, guess three is a crowd.

Lastly to cheer us all up as we go out on to our drive we are greeted by proper Spring flowers giving us a bounty of colour that will put a smile on any frozen face.

 

 

 

 

The winter was a loooong long one, then last week the weather brightened up, got a bit warmer & everything started to move. Did not have it anywhere near as warm as down south, but not bad for us. Though it has once again turned cold, the flowers in the garden brighten the day. One consolation, if it is not to hot & sunny, then the spring flowers will last longer.

Do not expect me to name half the flowers as that is the wife’s department not mine, though I can tell you the first two are Daffodils, first a miniature the second a double. the next is a pretty star like thing, followed by a Pom Pom Primula type.

Then we have a Primrose, another Pom thing & I do know the last plant a Heather, looking splendid on the edge of the drive.

As for the last two shots, for a couple of days we have had 3 Hares in the field directly in front of the house. They have been displaying for us with some boxing & chasing around, movements associated with breeding & mad March Hares, except up here it is a bit later so we get their antics in April. We have permission from our part-time neighbour to have a bonfire in their large field/ garden & was watching the Hares perform, not one bit worried about us working 100 yards away. Of course I had to stop & go & get the camera, my wife reckoned I would just get into their field before they bolted, as I was in light clothing & the camera on a tripod making me fairly bulky.

But they were not bothered, just enjoying themselves in the sunshine. So I was able to get to within 50 yards of them before they got a bit twitchy, didn’t run but very alert, but it did give me the best opportunity to photograph them. Somewhat chuffed with the results. Enjoy.

 

 

Due to the unfortunate death of a hard working local councillor our ward had to have a by-election yesterday. For nearly 20 years now I have always worked in the polling stations (or as they are known now polling place). So yesterday saw me going over to Tummell Bridge to work. Although just outside The Park I thought it would be worth telling you what actually goes into being a member of staff. Yes we do get paid as officials of the council, but when you work out the hours involved it is not a large sum. Before each election you attend a training session to update you on how the election will be run. I have to pick up the box the day before & check I have all the necessary paperwork.Then on the day staff have to be in place for  6.20am, to enable to set the paperwork, ballot box, booths in the right place & according to the rules laid out for us.

Tummell Bridge is a small village & roughly a third of the people work away, so have postal votes, others come to vote from over a vast area with most probably 8 miles away being the furthest one has to travel. So as we have to be there until 10pm it is a long day. Throughout the day you have party representatives coming to find out the percentage of those that have voted & also an inspector (appointed by the council) comes round at least 3 times during the day. His job is to check that all the correct procedures are being carried out, help with any crisis that may have arisen & check that we are all fine. They have the training, so if anyone is taken ill, they can step in the breach until a relief person can take over.

Of course we as polling staff have to stay within the perimeter of the polling place, but when it is as nice a day as yesterday we can sit outside & await the next voter. with toilet & meal breaks you can often be left to deal with voters, but me & my poll clerk are always aware of the sound of approaching cars & will normally be manning our desk by the time anyone enters. Having worked at Tummell for a fair few elections now we get to know most voters & have a good relationship with them, it might have something to do with the bowl of sweets I provide for them though.

At 10pm there are some 15 envelopes that I have to fill with all the different paperwork & make sure the accounts of voters balances, then take that all into Pitlochry where a council van collects all of it up from the area before taking it to the count. Then home to a hot bath relax for half an hour & crash out in bed.

During one of my breaks I took a few photos of the perimeter of the hall to show you what a lovely spot it is to work.

First is the hall itself, then the entrance.

Then to the side of the hall is the upper part of the River Tummell before it goes into the Loch, this is a very dangerous part of the river as it’s level is controlled by the hydro electric schemes & if water is discharged from the power station the water can rise really rapidly. In fact at this very spot a fisherman was drowned when the river rose & he got swept away by the current.

The next shot is one of the two power stations in the village. And finally, it wouldn’t be me if I did not include a bird in the post, so a very obliging Robin sitting waiting to have it’s photo taken.

 

        

 

No photos on todays blog, just a report on last nights Wildlife Trust talk in the village hall that I had arranged. The speaker was David Hethrington, an ecologist & author of a book on the reintroduction of Lynx to Scotland. The book is called The Lynx & Us, which was naturally the title of the talk, an interesting book with some wonderful photographs of Lynx in many areas of Europe. With facts & figures to back up the argument for their reintroduction.

A record attendance for a local branch talk with over 80 people attending, many coming for the first time & fairly anti attitude, but I must say that David put over such a convincing argument for them that many went away now converted, or at least with a different attitude towards Lynx.

The fear that they would dine on the many sheep we have up here was proven not to be true as their main prey was Roe Deer, which up here are very common. Lynx tend to live in woodland areas & though in some European countries it is normal for sheep to be in woods, ours tend to be out in the open on moorland or fields. Pheasants were another concern as shooting game birds is a huge part of the rural economy, but this was also been debunked by a leading person in Europe who has been studying their behaviour for years.

When it came to questions at the end of the talk I thought (as we are a rural farming community) that David would get a hard time, but no, he answered the questions well & without anyone going totally against what he had said. I do not think I will see or hear of Lynx in Glen Tilt or Glen Fender in my lifetime, if a book like this & an enthusiastic speaker like David can win over the sceptics. Then who knows, maybe one day.