Where does the time go? Here we are almost a month since the last blog
post on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Soon we will be
Christmas shopping!
Anyway there are plenty of long days to enjoy before then so here I'll say a
bit about our week in Scotland from 10th June.
Allt Beithe, Arivegaig, Acharacle and the track leading to the house in
the trees.
We were staying, for the 7th time, in our usual house at Arivegaig, Acharacle.
This may be our last time as it has been sold which is quite sad, we've
enjoyed good times here, but it might still remain a holiday let. To be
honest, it hasn't changed much in the 16 years we have been going so it could
do with some upgrading, just not too much. If it were me, I would cater more
for naturalists and wildlife observers as its an excellent spot, especially
for its specialty, the Pine Martens. There is a poor, triangle bird
table that the martens love, but Id make a bigger more open one, as you will
see soon, and install an outside light on the wall above the window to
illuminate the scene in the dark. It would be great. As it happens, it barely
gets dark in June, so back to the post.
I made a schoolboy error in forgetting my notebook ( what!) so I've relied on
photos, sketchbooks and memory for all except the moths that were scribbled on
scraps until we got home.
As for our week, I'm not sure the area has seen a spell of weather like it in
a while being hot, sunny and calm all week and for the previous three weeks
before ours too. The blanket bog surrounding the house, Kentra Moss, was very
dry. This resulted in a dearth in the usual flora with not a single Heath
Spotted Orchid, Sundew or Butterwort when in most years these are all
plentiful.
On a few days we made the mistake in going for walk somewhere not arriving
until mid morning. By then it was already too warm for Peggy so it was quite
frustrating. All week the temperatures were between 23 and 28 degrees
averaging at 25 - 26 most of the daylight hours. Insects were quite
plentiful, mainly those that bite, with millions of midgies and clegs, of
which my cleg list is now at 3 species...
So, to the stars of the show. When we visit here we always manage some
sightings of Pine Martens. If you saw last Septembers blog post, we had them
nightly with Badgers and a Fox too. This week, there were no Badgers or Fox,
but the Pine Marten had nested in the garden and was coming everyday with four
of the finest kittens you could imagine. Providing we were indoors they had no
fear of us at the window or talking. As it was hot, I kept water topped up so
they could come and drink when they were too warm. In the evening I fed a
muesli type of mix with soaked hedgehog biscuits, chopped soft dog meat,
damped bread and jam, peanuts and sunflower hearts sometimes with some chopped
fruit like apple strawberry or raspberry, what ever we had available. The
family ate the lot with relish.
During the day it would be quiet. The female would sneak a meal and a drink
alone, but by 5pm we would hear the kits were out and about. What a commotion.
scrapping and squeaking like jazz band kazoos then the lot would appear. You
could never get sick of them. What a holiday highlight they were. Here we go
with some pics and a video -
If you can turn up the sound you'll hear kits calling for mum, and maybe a
quiet profanity from Jane as one baby launches itself off the table onto the
lawn!
To say I am pleased with the photos is an understatement. All taken
through glass. The Arivegaig Pine Marten family.
They are a difficult act to follow to be honest so here are a few other
odds and sods of wildlife interest and scenery from the week.
Top - Ardtoe, with Rum and Eigg in the background bottom, Kentra.
May as well begin with these two bitey bastards. Top is a rare
Golden Horsefly recovered from a spiders web, A very local species
found in only a handful of locations in the UK. Bottom is the ever present and
abundant Two lobed Deer Fly. There were also Notch horn Clegs all over
too I can highly recommend using 'Smidge' repellant, I am very prone to all
insect bites and only had about 20 small bites all week.
Butterflies were around but in the heat wouldn't settle for a shot. Around
the house were a few Large Heath, in wooded areas and the moss were a
few Small Pearl bordered Fritillaries and Peacocks, but
although there were still a few Orange Tips on the wing, we didn't see any
Chequered Skippers. They must have had an early season in the good weather.
We had a similar problem with Dragonflies. They just wouldn't rest other
than one Gold ringed Dragon. We had lots of Four spotted Chasers too
but dipped out on the Northern Emeralds that had been seen nearby a week
earlier.
Gold ringed Dragonfly were common.
Above, Sanna on the Ardnamurchan.
Birds were few and far between, though we did have an
imm White tailed Eagle at Fascadale and a nest with the female and a
large youngster . One correctly dressed Rock Dove came into the house
garden on one morning but no others were seen. At Ariundle 3
Wood Warblers were trilling while Tree Pipits parachuted over
head.
I ran the moth trap in the garden on 5 nights. There were two new
species for me plus a nice showing of highland specials that I will put in a
separate post to stop this one dragging on...
Physocephala nigra a rare large Conopid Fly almost an inch long.
Hi, apologies for the dearth of blog posts over the last few weeks. I began one about 2 weeks ago and never got it finished due to one thing or another.
Last week we were away on holiday up to the Ardnamurchan, our 7th visit to this area and the 6th in the same house.
As can be expected on the west coast of Scotland at this time of year, the weather was mixed, but overall I'd say it erred on the better side. Only Friday was a write off with torrential rain and strong winds, but Weds and Thurs were beautiful calm, clear autumn days. The rest were a bit of a mix.
On the wildlife front, birding took a back seat really and it was too cool for the moth trap though I did try it on one night to justify carting it up here. A few moths were caught but it was all stuff I can get at home anyway. This visit was mainly dominated by the garden mammals for nature interest.
Out of 7 nights we were visited by Fox on 6 nights, Badger, up to 3, on 6 nights and Pine Marten possibly 2 on 4 nights. It was unprecedented for us to see all three predators on view at one time. There was a pecking order however with a large male Badger on top of the pile, then the smaller 2 Badgers and the Fox with the smaller Pine Marten wary of them all.
The only problem at this house is that there are no outside lights and the windows are quite small, so I hunted around and found a small LED reading lamp that could be balanced on the kitchen window to light the bird table. Using a bit of stiff card to prevent back glare off the glass we managed some great views of the animals, probably our closest ever of Badger and Fox, though Pine Martens can often peer in at windows.
It was important to keep the main kitchen light off so we remained hidden in the darkness, this made cooking the tea 'interesting'. If we go back I will be taking a better lighting set up. One to think about.
Not exactly floodlit but it did the job.
Before dusk each night, we put out a mix of food. A muesli of cat biscuits, sunflower hearts, chopped peanuts, chopped apple and grapes and a small amount of jam and bread cut into centimetre cubes. A spoonful of honey was drizzled over the lot. On some nights we put out a whole egg on the table that the Pine Marten took before anything else.
Feeling a bit sorry for the Fox, we cracked an egg on to a saucer one night for him. He stalked up in the darkness to see what this oddity was and attacked. He stole the saucer, tipping the egg on to the grass! He ran off into the wooded garden with the crockery that I had to recover the next day. You might guess who got the egg. Badgers are forensic when they comb the grass for tit bits....
Pine Marten
Fox, in dark and in daylight. Pine Marten very scared of him and was off like a rocket when he appeared....
The Badger Family
The Animals of Farthing Wood...
As if this nightly spectacle wasn't safari enough, just beyond the gate were lots of bellowing Red Deer stags with small parties of hinds and calves on the moss too...
Red Deer
Another fab week away from it all. There must be Wildcats here too surely...
