Getting to be a bit of a butterfly blog. Walked the RSPB site at Ardmore last Tuesday. Highish tide & a strong breeze. The path was often protected by windward bushes. Lots of small tortoiseshells & some painted ladies basking. Devils-bit scabious flowering. Some whites too, mainly green-veined.
Apart from the orchids yesterday there was a lot of flowering going on.
walkmap map, photos & note
Pretty & pretty exciting walk out to Duncolm this morning. Plenty of flora & fauna. First small heath, painted lady & small copper butterflies of this year. Watch an osprey fishing over Loch Humphrey for a about half an hour (that was the exciting bit).
Walk to Greenside: cuckoos calling & cuckoo flowers. Lots of green, lots of singing birds hiding in the green. The Sun came out and so did green veined whites & orange tip butterflies. plenty of Goldfinches.
A walk this afternoon around the old building in Gartnavel & Bingham pond.
Walking round the loop above Finlas Water yesterday. Another blue sky day. Tops still brown but dry. Deer & skylarks around most of the day, a few ravens. Some bumble bees looking for nests. Green veined whites flying around between the reservoir & the car.
Walked part of the Finlas Loop yesterday. Sparking hill day, snow. A lot of deer. Deer seem less inclined to run off in the winter. Fox track all over. A glimpse of an eagle, later watched for 10-15 minutes as it circled back and forth along the skyline above.
map, photos & notes: walkmap
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.
A walk from Braeval car park near Aberfoyle today. The weather put me off the hills. Given low cloud general dullness I took a few photos of small things.
Wandering round the Pittenweem Art Festival yesterday. The village is fascinating, a jumble of twists & turns. I particularly enjoyed the work of Pauline Burbidge, Charles Poulsen & Sophie Demery.
