The Bagsy Blog: Scotland the Brave

Monday, 17 April 2017

Scotland the Brave - Part IV

Creeping ever closer to extinction, if you are to have any chance
of seeing the massive bulk that is

CAPERCAILLIE

it will necessitate a very 'early turn', we arrived at the

Visitor's Centre

LOCH GARTEN

at 04:15 awaiting the opening of the hide at 04:30.

It has to be said up front that the 2 hours vigil was in vane and even more

disappointing was the fact that, thus far, only a single male bird has been seen this season.

We added the 'borrowed' image just to highlight the magnificence of this creature.

However, our visit wasn't without its benefits as through the early morning gloom the

NESTING PLATFORM

along with both

OSPREY

could be seen while a male

BRAMBLING

also visited the bird table relieving some of the tedium.

You may need a Magnifying Glass.

By no means crestfallen, that's simply Bird Watching, we moved on a couple

of miles down the road to the

ABERNETHY FOREST

in the hope of another of Scotland's Specialities, but this was totally at

the other end of the scale as far as size was concerned.

Our wait was short lived and it might be true to say that tiny movement on our

starboard side was simultaneous, but did either of us see where the

CRESTED TIT

came from. As far as locating/spotting was concerned this was about

my only contribution to the whole trip, but what a contribution as the bird

was seen leaving the

NEST HOLE

if that is the correct description of a 'crack' in one of the

SCOTS PINE TREES

considered to be no more than an inch across

Taking up station at a distance that would not spook the nesting pair,

the challenge now was to obtain stills and videos, but rarely did the

birds linger outside of the nest.

This is on average how quick the action was - don't blink!

The birds were in fact excavating the nest hole

as can be seen by the small amounts of debris being removed.

My own shots were not so good but

there were a couple of occasions

when they did

linger just that little bit longer.

We were certainly not complaining!

Our next port of call would take us

From a dense forest of tall dark pinewood,
Mount Ida rises like an island.
Within a hidden cave, nymphs had kept a child;
Hermaphroditus, son of gods, so afraid of their love.
As the dawn creeps up the sky
The hunter caught sight of a doe.
In desire for conquest,
He found himself within a glade he'd not beheld before. [Hermaphroditus:]
"Where are you, my father?
Give wisdom to your son"

Fountain of Salmacis - Genesis (Nursery Cryme)

On the way to Inch Marshes there was time for Dave to search

out some Moth Larvae, but don't ask me what - he talks in Latin on such matters!