Wildlife diary 1st to 25th November.
Yesterday, the 24th, was a perfectly still, sunny blue winters day. I spent a couple of hours down at the estuary at low tide, and came away thinking that winter days like these are as beautiful as any spring, summer or autumn day, and that winter as a season, has so much to offer. And it is so very quiet. OK, so we have some rough weather to contend with, but it’s worth putting up with for these sunny winter days, and anyway a wild winters day can be an experience, and impressive to, seeing the flood, the rivers and waterfalls in spate, and witnessing and feeling and hearing those high winds, such a powerful force of nature.
There was plenty to see, in lovely winter light. Winter wildfowl, a dozen handsome goosander, drakes and ducks, striking goldeneye in pairs, lots of gorgeous wigeon back in smart dress after their moult, and mallard.
Waders, at least one wintering greenshank, in pale winter plumage, what an elegant beauty. And curlew, whose evocative calls ring out across the stillness. Oystercatchers, normally quite a noisy bird, are quite quiet. A party of six turnstone and six ringed plover at another small tidal bay, where there were red-breasted merganser and eider.
Herons posed on exposed rocks and tree limbs, out in the mud and shallow water, as do cormorants, drying their wings. Shags hunted close inshore, along with several delightful little grebes, and a pair of graceful mute swans. Will we see any northern whooper swans, dropping in for a while? Also along the shore, a dipper, finding perhaps more food here than on the bed of a winter river.
Among the hoodie crows feeding along the shore, a single rook, which is unusual for here. Buzzards circling and perching in the lochshore trees. And a surprise on another sunny mid November afternoon on the track beside the loch at the wood edge, a peacock butterfly, warmed enough to come out for a fly about, perching on sunlit rocks, soaking up what warmth there is from the weak winter sun. On another day, a sea eagle was drifting above the lochshore woods, and out over the loch and estuary, looking for an opportunity.
During the first week of November, just before going away for a week, there were half a dozen waxwing in the village. Whilst I was away, I saw and other small flocks in villages in central Scotland, and when I came back our six had increased to twenty. They stayed for several days. It is always their calls that give them away, like the ringing of the tiniest of little bells. Always nice to see and hear them.
Other delights have been more long-tailed tits, and in the garden coal tits, real woodland spirits yet as much at home foraging on the ground as in a tall fur, pine or spruce, and several bright yellowhammers. The, or a, sparrowhawk, is still about, though is seen less often now. I wonder how the young female is getting on. A kestrel too has been about. A small band of bullfinch up in the forestry, and crossbills as well, their energetic 'chup-chup-chup' calls liven up the quiet winter woods.
The news though, for me anyway, is that a mother otter has been seen with three small cubs. I’m so pleased about this, having been in recent months and years a little concerned about how the otters are doing locally, having been seeing less of them. I’ve been out looking for this family, but no luck yet. If the cubs are very young then I guess they won’t be spending to long out of the halt, or venturing far from it. Also, their mother will be keeping them from danger, from predators, like that sea eagle, so she may only be out with them early and late. I’m looking forward to seeing them, which I will, in time, and going and being where they might be is a pleasure in itself.
The woods are full of light, and it’s good to be able to look at the sleeping sunlit winter trees again, having been in darkness and shadow all summer long, so silent, so still they stand. I’ve not been to the hills recently, but hope to before too long. I have had reports of snow buntings from up high, are they still on the move to the coast, or do they find enough food in these milder western hills in the winter months.
