My Blog

Category: Birds

  • Footing the bill

    Well, I haven’t been here for a while, sorry about that, things have been busy and I am still trying to work out what I think about last week’s Election result. So, yesterday we hied to the Lyceum in Edinburgh for the final play in the 2014 -15 season.  The was The Venetian Twins, relocated…

  • Wading right in

    Went to Vane Farm aka RSPB Loch Leven this afternoon, just to stretch legs and breathe the Fife air.  Rewarded with a rare glimpse of a female garganey.  A very knowledgeable lady in the Carden hide, on the flood,  had never seen one this far north, so there was much excitement.   Also saw shoveler,…

  • Downtime Abbey

    Well, it’s been unusually quiet here in Camp Chandler, Paul has had the cold from hell for the past 2 – 3 weeks and we didn’t manage to join the chums in Blairgowrie for the annual Folk Club getaway weekend, which was very disappointing but sometimes you just have to acknowledge when it would be…

  • Redding up

    Janus is the Roman god  after whom January is named; he had two heads, one for looking backwards and one for looking forwards.   Harbinger of change;  turns out that is going to be quite appropriate for 2015, of which more anon. So, to Townhill Loch, north of Dunfy yesterday, to see some new birds and…

  • Murmur

    Shoud you happen to spot a starling murmuration, be sure to log it here.  See here if you have never heard me going on about this natural phenomenon.   And here, no apologies for repeating this link. Also be sure to phone me so that I can see it too.   Likewise any flocks of waxwings.…

  • The North, Circular

    Affairs of the stomach much on my mind these days, so it was with rising interest that I noted a factoid from the appendices to one of my favourite books, The Poetry of Birds*.   The noble bird the gannet derives its name from the Scottish word gant or gaunt which means to yawn by…

  • Half term

    Solstice again, and it looks like being a very, very busy day. Last weekend we went to Vane Farm, not been for ages, and oh happy joy, the flowers are out in the bumblebee meadow and beyond.  Not only that, but in the furthest hide we saw male and female Little Ringed Plovers, nesting on…

  • Plenum

    At least that is how my head feels just now, very busy at work and the lighter mornings wake me up early which means more thoughts squeeze themselves in my conscious waking state.   They’re not worth writing down but I did realise that it was time to update BTW if only so that the most…

  • Thought for the Day

    Here’s a thing, and you might want to finish your breakfast first. I make it my business to visit and evaluate ladies’ loos the world over.  Current most interesting –  the ones in the St. Petersburg food market.  Tip topper most, our own, with calming colour scheme, decent selection of reading material,  digital radio*, Ecover…

  • Finchley Park

    They’re back !  Not a sign of them last year and previous excitement proved fruitless as the depletion of the Nyger seeds turned out to be directly attributable to the chaffinches. But – photographic evidence was obtained yesterday.  It’s from a dreadful angle since speed was of the essence.  Oh and if you have already…