A Trip to the Highlands

A few days away in Bonny Scotland  staying on the shores of Loch Lomand , hotel was only accessible along a 15 mile single track road so it also has ferry access over to the other side ,this was just a few days away and not birding but I still took the bins with me ,the most numerous bird seen would probably be Buzzards in the periods of sunny weather . I was hoping for just a dusting of snow which is what we got but it seems there has been plenty more since we came back, excursions out over Rannoch Moor  which I found totally fascinating in its bleakness, obviously the area is great for photography I only had my compact with me (camera that is) on to Oban with plenty of birdlife along the shore to the town. A visit to the Falkirk Wheel which was the main reason for me to visit this particular area, a great bit of engineering ,the guide asked if there was any questions not to include "what if " or"what would happen if " so the first two questions of 2  youngsters "what would happen if" we dont do those said the guide next question  "why is it called the Falkirk Wheel " asked one very young boy ,"because its a wheel and its in Falkirk" was the answer !!!!

The road down to the Hotel on the shore of Loch Lomand

 Waterfall at the edge of the Hotel the small bridge above and over the falls is part of The West Highland Way, Dipper seen here and other locations

The Hotel from the falls showing the side and down to the ferry landing

 A nice dusting of pure white snow just to set the scene view across the Loch to theWest

 View from the ferry with the hotel acroos the other side

 A brighter day with the ferry just coming in

Nothing to do with anything other than I liked the idea of a photo, the area was very wet with water everywhere even in the woods which lined the road edge lots of Deer seen and feral Goats like those near Cheviot, the trees festooned with Lichens  

 This is made up of  stones taken from all 283 ? Monroes ,we did not bag any ,but I invented a lazy mans  list  of bagging  "Edinburgh Woollen Mills " of which there must be more or you could be more specific and just go for " ***** (add town ) Woollen Mill

 Crossing over Rannoch Moor area and its looking a bit bleak

 Oban from the Folly on the hill ,looking over to the jetty  and towards Mull its many years since I was last here long before I got into birding

Actually the only Hoodie I saw it was on the shore then flew up and landed beside us

Explaining the Falkirk  a boat lift to move boats from one canal to another 

This actually works for a living taking pleasure boats up or down or even both at the same time at a cost of some £15 mil it would never be a commercial success if not for the visitors paying about £8 to travel up to the higher level along through a tunnel turn around and back down , coming out of the tunnel just before going back onto the lift and seeing the view below and the vast scene all around is by far the highlight  ,as it runs so smoothly its actually a bit boring !!!!

 Photos are not in order but show the wheel on the descent with the visitor boat on the upper one, all because of some bloke having a bath one day and coming up with what we now know as
Archimede's Principle 

 One of the spare vistor boats with the wheel in the background and the tunnel just out of sight

Coming back down the exit locks are just in the background two hand operated ones that drop down to the canal below

A Walk along the Wall

Sunday 20th February a walk along the wall (figure of speech as walking on the wall is not allowed) a dusting of snow in places and rather dull and gloomy same as my other visits in the past couple of years, walked from Steel Rigg car park east to the Pennine Way north on the way then headed back west to the car.

Bird life mainly in the form of Corvids with a single F Gooseander 2 Mute Swans and a pair of Mallard on Crag Lough and later a flock of Skylarks .

Stopped at Grindon lough on the way back no sign of any Whitefronts, plenty of Teal & Wigeon 6 Barnacle a few Pinkfeet, Canada and mainly Greylag, this was mid afternoon but it was still dull the scope only magnifying  how dull it was. 

One of the Milecastles photos are not in order but it just gives the idea

 " Mute Swans on the Lough to give some scale

Sycamore Gap

Swallow,Holywell, Blyth Harbour.

!6th February had a run to Swallow Pond  for a change of venue with reports of Mealies in with the Redpolls  it was a nice sunny day  which had brought out people in  numbers , the only sighting I had of  Redpolls was a flock that circled over the track then headed back west, so I headed off for the quieter  site of Hollywell Pond which was very quiet , so to take advantage of the light I thought I would head for the harbour again , not many gulls around , but the Snow Buntings still present sitting on the security fence their favourite perch, they where obliging enough to sit around so I took a few shots, thats my header  for next month sorted..

 The only two photos I got at Swallow Pond this one has a twig in front, and the frenetic Long Tailed , but I do like that face , cute or what !!!!!

 That does not look like a comfortable perch  does it !!!

 Trying to sport the Waxwing look .

Its been great to have these around for the Winter ,they brighter up any slow day .

No it is not a joke, but it is funny !!!!!!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20110210/twl-malawians-voice-anger-against-fartin-41f21e0.html

Hope the Government don't get wind of this they might want to impose a new tax !!!

Iceland Gull............. Fish Quay

Tuesday the 15th February, I wasn't really going to bother going out an other dull day in the offing , but the report of a Glaucous Gull at the Fish Quay North Sheilds and the sun trying to get out  I was off first problem road works at Spanish City took ages to get through then the road by the boating lake was closed ? so I had to work out how to get around and down to the quay. Well got onto the quay a few birders around, told me the Glauc was still around  and 2 minutes later the bird flew past us ,I remarked immediately that it looks more like an Iceland to me just going off its size and the bird not having that fearsome mean  look of  a Glaucous , but then I thought is it a Glaucous but at the smaller end of the range ? it landed briefly and I got some digi shots showing primary projection two toned bill with a slight (very) pale tip, "dark iris". This was at times a rather timid bird landing on the shed roof a couple of times chased off by Herring Gull Juv. I still think this is an Iceland Gull , but looking through the photos on my other posts of Iceland  ,provided I have I.D.'d all those correctly , the head of this bird does not fit the classic form, the bill looks a little long and in my last shot this looks more like Glaucous. When you read up on Gulls structure is to me the hardest  to assess  , but the head does look more rounded, so I'm going for 2nd winter Iceland Gull , iris is supposed to be pale at this age but can eye colour change quickly, not seen any photos with a transitional shade ?. Gulls can do your head in !!!!!!    I have labelled other posts with Iceland featured which were not previously linked.

Any comments welcome  even if it's just to say I'm wrong   !!!

 A very timid bird constantly chased off by other gulls

This shot looks a bit more like a Glaucous Gull