Kids bug hunting in school. Two butterflies, the first of the year. A peacock and a small tortoiseshell circling each other.
Tag: fauna
Metrological spring evening in Victoria Park; a storm toppled tree still blossoms; the first frog spawn in the small pond; feels like there might be frost tonight.
It was quite sunny yesterday as I left work. Watched this tree bumblebee going around the crocus.
Warm sunny, for February, day. River running brown and high. I spent a few minutes sitting, watching a kingfisher across the river. Dived a few times and came up lucky a couple. One wee fish took a bit of subduing and was bashed off a branch a few times.
Along Troon shore, stared rainy and cold, got a little warmer and changed to dull. Lots of dog walkers. But I saw quite a few birds. Greenfinch, stonechats & linnets on the dune side. Turnstone, sanderling and redshank at the edge of the sea. Took blurry photos of them all. Good enough for id & iNaturalist. Also a small dead porpoise washed up on the sand.
Had a walk along the Forth & Clyde this afternoon. Weather mild & gray.
Warm dull with a bit of drizzle this morning. Brightened by a charm of goldfinch feeding on burdock. A couple of minutes later excitement when a crow chased a sparrow hawk overhead.
Having coffee by the trig point, heard some ravens and went to look over the steep side. Below a hen harrier took off, curved and headed off over the moor. Blurry photo, clear memory.
I had a walk around Glen Douglas hills yesterday. Quite warm for the time of year, mostly clouds, with some bright shafts of sunlight. The ground soaking all the wee burns flowing. I don’t think I ever didn’t hear it running.
Red deer stags roaring most of the day. I saw a few small groups here and there. A small tussle between two younger stags on the slopes of Beinn Bhreac. Another chains a rival off between Ben Reoch & Tullich hill.
Not much other wildlife, a stonechat or two, a couple of meadow pipets, the odd raven and a large group of crows. Lots of wee craneflies. Flowers mostly gone, the mood milkwort, bog heather and scabious.
The clouds and sunlight changed constantly. The colours in the early morning especially lovely.
The bottom of Tullich hill was rough going. New trees planted and fenced. Grass long and hides the holes the soil for the tree planting was lifted for, invisible ditches.
Didn’t see anyone all day.
Large Dragonfly at the Japanese Garden. I wasnot sure what it was so uploaded to iNaturalist: Common Hawker (Aeshna juncea) from Clackmannanshire, UK on 14 October, 2024 at 01:41 PM by John Johnston · iNaturalist. Surly the last I see this year?