30 Days Wild 2022 - Day 1 - Our Garden Birds

 

 I first did 30 Days Wild in 2015 when it all began but have lost touch with getting to do Nature inspired activities on a daily basis over the last few years due to ill health. This year though, I am going to try and do something for each day in June again even if it is just watching the behaviour of a fly for 5 minutes.

 

 I am going to start with a quick and easy one as I had to stay in for a boiler service so spent some time with the birds that visit our garden.

 I'll begin with the current creche attendees. At the moment we have 9 or 10 juvenile Starlings along with 2 juvenile Blackbirds, a couple of juvenile House Sparrows and a juvenile Pied Wagtail.

The rest of the garden's visitors.

Pigeons

 Starlings

 House Sparrow 

Blackbird

Collared Dove

Blue Tit

Jackdaw

Goldfinch

Magpie

 I hope you have enjoyed the photos.Thanks for browsing my blog.

#30DaysWild #WildlifeTrust #gardenbirds #gardenforNature #connectwithNature

Scotland 2020 - Day 6 - Farewell

  Sadly our last day in the Highlands and so with a 10hr drive back South the next day we stayed fairly close to the farm.We had a short drive along Glen Spean and then up the Great Glen.

  A86 Glen Spean views

  We headed back and up to Fort Augustus to look for Red Grouse on the moors.We saw a couple fly by as well as a hunting Kestrel.

  No matter what the weather or time of year it is there is always a beautiful light in Scotland unlike anywhere else we've been.

  Loch Lochy

  We stopped at the Commando Memorial monument at Spean Bridge to take in our last views of the Nevis range.

  The Commando memorial dedicated to the British Commandos of WW2 

  We returned to the far to pack things for our departure the next morning but still put out the trail cam for one last session.The Pine Marten must've been watching and waiting in the shadows as less than 5 minutes after setting up the camera and going indoors the Marten appeared.It's earliest arrival time so far, 7.30pm so we were able to watch from the kitchen window.

  Some more trail cam footage of this wonderful elusive mammal.

  I also finally recorded proof of our apple thief lol 

                              

  The trail cam was still set up in the morning while we finished packing and picked up some of the garden birds.

  The Blackbirds
                              

  The Robins

  With a heavy heart we left to head back down to Lincolnshire.Hopefully we will get the chance to return again.

   

  Since returning home we have received the devastating news from Margo & Robert that my favourite boy Tug had to be put to sleep.We are so thankful we got to share part of our lives with him and spend one last time with him again.He was such a beautiful and gentle soul who will be sadly missed. RIP Tug  😪     

                                                                                      

  Thank you to all who have read any of my blogposts and watched the clips.I hope you have enjoyed the journey with us.

  Bye til next time, Beannachd Leat 🙏

  

Scotland 2020 - Day 3 - A Tit In The Hand

  Today's original plan was to meet up with our friend Jan and catch the ferry from Lochaline to Fishnish on the Isle Of Mull. Due to heavy snow across Ardnamurchan and 40mph+ winds we decided the best option was to travel in the opposite direction and head to Aviemore.
  The lovely horizontal Scottish weather coming in at the farm before we left.

  With Jan we usually go straight out birding but as it had been a long time since meeting up we had a good chat before spending an hour walking along the shops in Aviemore high street and then into the chip shop.

  We then headed up to Abernethy Forest and Loch Garten.

  RSPB Loch Garten was yet to open for the Osprey season but it was still possible to walk down to the centre and see the bird feeding frenzy.

  As it was too early for the return from Africa of the Ospreys I had to fill in for the photographs ;) 

  Chaffinches, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Siskins surrounded us as they cam down for food.

  Male Chaffinch

  Coal Tit

  As you can imagine there were numerous squabbles as the birds competed to feed.

  

  One Male Chaffinch seemed to be at the top of the bird community hierarchy and after facing off all-comers did his triumphant Jurassic Park T-Rex roar ;) 

  Suddenly a different bird was spotted skulking around the floor and base of the trees, a Treecreeper :) I haven't seen them feed on the floor very often and was amazing to see it up so close.

  Majella and Jan picked up some of the seed left on a table by previous visitors and waited patiently with their hands held out.

  It didn't take long for the Coal Tits to take up the offer.

  Majella with a Coal Tit

  Jan looking nonchalant while feeding another Coal Tit.

  Video clip of Majella feeding a Coal Tit and the joy it brings even if you have done it 100 times before.

                              

  The bird (besides the Ospreys) that a lot of people come to Loch Garten to find is the Crested Tit, only found in these ancient Caledonian pine forests in Scotland. Luckily we were treated to great views of one as it flitted from tree to tree and between the three of us picking up seeds.

  Crested Tit

  After a couple of hours we were all starting to feel the cold and so headed back to the car to warm up before driving back to the farm.We agreed it was a very good day and said our goodbyes so Jan could head back West towards Skye.

  As darkness approached it was time for me to get the trail camera back in place in the garden.

  

  The first mammal to appear was this Rabbit around 2am

                                

  Then just before 5am the Pine Marten was back.

                            

                            

                            

                            

  The trail cam even caught another mammal on film just before I went out to collect it, a Bank Vole.

                            

  An amazing diversity of Wildlife all around us while we sleep.

  Thanks again for taking the time to read the blogpost and view the film clips.Join me tomorrow when we head to the stunning West coast of Scotland.

Bye til then.