Note from Andrew Beach - Pat's Husband: I regret to say that my
beloved wife passed away in November 2013. As you will know if you have
read her blog posts she was truly in love with nature and enjoyed
sharing this love with others through these posts. This post was
prepared but not published which I now do in her memory. It may not be
complete but this is how she left it, so how it shall be.
1st Hottest day of the year so far- in the low 30's
2nd Lots of butterflies in the garden - mainly whites but also a comma, a peacock and a small blue. Damsel flies also fly around and a large brown dragonfly zooms through.
5th Sunshine and showers today with lots of birds in the garden-sparrows, blue tits, great tits, a coletit, blackbirds and a young and adult robin - so I guess its only a matter of time when all this activity would attract a sparrowhawk. He sits on the fence and is empty handed. He flys off as I reach for the camera. I wait to see which birds come back and I'm surprised as a female woodpecker arrives on the feeders. She is replaced by a blackbird then bluetits ,great tits, sparrows, a coletit and pigeons.
Wed 14th August Start of our trip to Skye.
Overnight stay at Wyreside Lakes, Lancaster. Rain through the night. Swaths of purple/pink rosebay willow herb line our route up the motorway.
Thursday 15th -18th Copeland Campsite, Stirlingshire. Forest Site.
We find quiet pitch. Some rain over night but Friday starts sunny. On a ride out we find a lovely waterfall were I think fairies could live amongst the flowers, ferns and moss. Swallows and pied wagtails fly around and chaffinch look for food by the tables.
On the way back we spot Red Deer. It looks like they are in someones back garden.
Red deer ( Cervus elaphus) There are more than a quarter of a million red deer in Scotland. Red deer stags live separate groups to the females except in the rutting season. They feed on grasses, heather and lichens. In summer the coat is brighter and goes grey -brown from September. at the start of the rutting season. Stags are in their prime and try to round up as many hinds as possible. They bellow and thrash trees to show their strength. If nessasary they fight with their antlers some will be injured but some will be killed. The most successfull stags are around 8 years old and hold a harem of 10 - 20 hinds. The farming of red deer has become widespread due to their low-cholesterol venison.
Sat 17th Rain all morning but the sun came out about 1ish. Id given up on anything comung to my bird feeder when a cole tit arrives, then 2 bluetits and a great tit. Three chaffinch try to land but they are ground feeders so fly away. The leaves on the ground are moving so I wait to see what will appear and finally a mouse comes out into the open.
Sun18th Travelling to Skye through Glen Coe which is still a beautiful place in spite of the rain and wind. We arrive safely and set up camp. What a view!!
We are on the waters edge of Loch na Cairidh opposite the Isle of Scalpay. That evening we see red deer on the shore line of Scalpay.
19th Rain and wind in the night but the sun is now trying to break through. Herons, gulls, terns, oystercatchers and a hooded crow are feeding in the seaweed.
Hooded crow (Corus cornix) The Hooded crow has a black head, wings and tail with a grey-pinkish body and a black bib. It feeds on the ground where it hops or walks eating carrion, young birds, mammals, eggs, insects and other invertebrates. They will also eat seeds, fruit and grain. It lives anywhere it can explote a food source.
I take a walk along the jetty and take pictures of starfish
seaweed,
and a crab.
Back at the van I see my main reason for coming to Skye -A White Tailed Sea Eagle wow !! It flys down to steal a fish from the gulls and flys off with his catch over to Scalpay where it disappears over the mountain.
White Tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilia) Heavier and bulkier than the golden eagle with broad wings and 'fingered tips' , a short wedge shaped white tail, a strong neck and a powerful bill.
