Galana's Seventh. Lucky numbers.

[xelas]

It looks like you have given some liquid treatment also to your Nikon as above photos, as a collection, are among the best seen from you so far! Bravo!

[TonyQ]

Great progress. The baby Longtails are very cute!

[PeterHG]

Agree on the long-taileds: lovely pictures!

[Galana]

11 hours ago, xelas said:

liquid treatment also to your Nikon as above photos, as a collection, are among the best seen

There are times that camera really lets me down. (but they are nice so I can live with the criticism.

 

[Galana]

Today again dawned fine and sunny. It was a toss up between birding in the woods or emulating the tourons and rolling up my trousers, shedding my shirt and, after placing a knotted handkerchief on my head ,taking to the beach.

After an hour feeding the midges in the woods looking for Redstarts and Fycatchers I did wonder about the wisdom of my choice. S0 it was out of the woods and into the car for a return visit to the lovely Wigtown Town reserve. (Site maintained by the local Wildfowlers Association so well done them!)

Down to the hide and lots lf Little Egrets and shelduck in the estuary and the American Wideon was still paddling around within a few yards of where he was on Tuesday.

 

 

But nothing new so I contented myself in getting some 'better' photos of the Reed Buntings who were showing well.

She has caught a Damselfly. I thought Buntings were Seed Eaters,

 

The male still skulked.

 

So, after lot of thought, I decided it was time to look to Lady G and buy her a sticky cream Cake and cup of Hot Choclate. (I am all heart really and have not forgotten how to give a girl a good time. ) So after refreshments we felt strong enough to tackle a new wood on our way home. Caley Woods near Gatehouse of Fleet. Lovely ancient Oakwoods that is said to hold Pied Flyatchers and Redstarts plus Red Squirrels. All I found were a few Chaffinches and Tits and afleeting glimpse of a Squirrel. Not many midges either so some good news.

The afternoon was drawing on so back to Croft Cottage by Gin o'clock and my first day without a new tick. There is always tomorrow.

[Soukous]

13 hours ago, Galana said:

Today again dawned fine and sunny.

 

you're really rubbing this in aren't you. 

[michael-ibk]

Love the LTTs - lovely photos.

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Soukous said:

you're really rubbing this in aren't you. 

Nah. Just trying to tell the world that it does not rain every day in Scotland. It just seems like it.

[Galana]

Today is our last day here so just a short trip out before the holiday crowds.

The main aim being to top off the car's tank in case we encounter the same problem as last year with (out) E5 fuel.

Not a particlarly long drive tomorrow at 17miles  but it involves the notorious bottle neck of Loch Lomondside A82 which is never good at the best of times and tomorrow is a Holiday Sunday. One can always tell when it is a busy week end in the UK. Either the Customs/Airports are on strike or there will be a technical failure in the Baggage handling or Passport machinery. They can build planes these days that land safely in zero visibility but when you get off the thing, something (or someone ) simple in the arrivals system will have broken.  

 

So today is my last chance to nail a useable photo of Red Kites without resorting to Bellymack Farm.

 

Up into the local Forest where we planned a slow drive to see what we could see.

 

Luck was with us and on a convenient place to park up a Jay was feeding. "Quick! Pass the camera!"

"Got it!"    No rush it stayed put feeding and posing for me. So I parked better and enjoyed it.

252. Eurasian Jay. Lauriston Forest. Grobdale.

 

It was feeding in 'brash' from forestry work and it was not alone.

 

Another flicker caught my eye and I helped myself to another hard to get bird. Well easy when on a feeder but not otherwise.

 

On the ground and doing what comes naturally to such a bird.

253. Greater spotted Woodpecker. Lauriston Forest.

 

And not to be outdone

A common Buzzard decided to give me a chance with a fly by.

Might get my eye tuned for if I ever get a Red Kite close enough.

 

And of course just like buses, you wait for ages and they all come at once.

 

I notced a number of Kites circling lke Vultures so was ready to stop if I could.

They were following a tractor picking up mown hay. Just like gulls and the plough it seems the Kites have learned that tractors disturb voles and mice so they do some picking up. The farmer explained that there may be no Kites in view but if he starts his tractor they head in from all points of the compass.

Something to be aware of.

So here are my efforts...

254. Red Kites. Town Head of Greenlaw, Castle Douglas.

 

They were still there when I reurned that road after I had re-fuelled the car.

 

Back to the cottage where I felt I had to photograph one of the local lambs.

That may be me done for Galloway. Highly recommended.

 

[Galana]

The day was not done with me yet.

A bit noisy but at 21.38 at night beggars can't be choosers.

 

255. Barn Owl. Grobdale of Girthon. This place has everything.

 

Good night.

[Soukous]

17 hours ago, Galana said:

That may be me done for Galloway. Highly recommended.

 

Indeed it is. It lingers in my memory as the one place in Scotland where I enjoyed wonderful weather.

I also really enjoyed Mull of Galloway.

[TonyQ]

Well done with your additions.

Interesting about the Kites and tractors - I didn’t know that.

[PeterHG]

Definitely exciting to see a Barn Owl, even ( or especially) at dusk!

[Galana]

@SoukousYes. I have been comng to Galloway since mid fifties as a callow youth in a Red Mini that could handle the january snows on the Pennines on the way. This was possibly my first time in spring and totally different.

 

Thanks everyone for the kind comments.

We are now up on the Banks of Loch Awe in an old drover's Inn Taychreggan. Decent run up of 180 miles with the only bottle-neck the darn coaches and campers on Lomond side.Sadly there was no signs of the BT Divers I found last year. The bloody lake is full of paddle boards. Grrr.

I did have some success with a product improvement, a cute mammal ( not the stoat that dashed over the A75) and a new tick. One of Martins enigmas of a bird on a stick and it was some bird and some stick. You will have to wait for it as I have left my card reader in the car having packed it away so carefully I cannot find it.

[Galana]

Recovered the Card Reader so here are yesterdays...

The 'improvement'.

 

The mammal..

 

And @Soukous's bogey enigma.

The Pole sitter.

 

256. Common Snipe. Taycreggan. Argyll.

 

The sitter.....

 

And the POLE.

 

What on earth was it doing up there? Phoning home?

 

 

[michael-ibk]

Very cool shots of Cuckoo and Snipe! 

[TonyQ]

Excellent Cuckoo and Snipe!

When we were in Iceland we saw Snipe sitting on top of tall structures, but never on a telegraph pole - and I have not seen it at all in this country.

[PeterHG]

Great shots of both birds!

[PeterHG]

1 hour ago, TonyQ said:

When we were in Iceland we saw Snipe sitting on top of tall structures

I’’ll look out for them next week …..;)

[BRACQUENE]

Rarely seen such a beautiful Cuckoo Fred ! 

[Galana]

Thanks for the comments on the Cuckoo and Snipe.

In the west of Scotland and other area where they breed I have found most waders like to sit on fence posts presumably for a good look out. I will be sailing to Coll tomorrow as the first of many hebridean islands and from then on they will be regular and normal sights but I had never seen this where there were trees and so high up.

As for the cuckoo he had company and I may add a caption such as "Hello Dad!".  or  "It's time you left home son."

 

[Peter Connan]

3 hours ago, Galana said:

In the west of Scotland and other area where they breed I have found most waders like to sit on fence posts presumably for a good look out.

 

Who'd of thunk it? A Snipe on a pole is new to me.

[Galana]

I stopped the car to stand and stare,

at a bird that wasn't there,

It was'n't there again today,

How I wish it would fly away.

 

[Galana]

Moving on west where men are men and the wiffy is very iffy. (as are some of the birds!)

 

But not this chap.

 

European Otter. Bold as you like and going somewhere in  hurry. Loch Avaid.

 

257. Pied Flycatcher. Juv? Loch Avaid.

 

258.  Blackcap. Loch A (I will edit in the name later)

 

259 Osprey. Honest. There were two so I grabbed them as I may not get another.

 

260. Sedge Warbler. Loch Wotsit.

 

 

261. Wood Warbler. Lake thingy. Argylle.

 

Early start tomorrow. We sail at Dawn. Well 07.00 really but where is the romance in that?

ETA. Coll. Isle of Coll so is that IOC? Hope there is no corruption!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[xelas]

13 hours ago, Galana said:

259 Osprey. Honest.

Scout's word?