Eric & Lesley's Wildlife Blog - Wildscotphotos

April 20th, 2018

20/4/2018

Its been a long time in planning but I was able to have a hide session for Black Grouse locally. After being refused permission that I did not think I need two years ago we have been building towards using a different site.
Getting to the hide meant half and hour driving following by half an hour walking. The birds appeared in the dark almost one hour before sunrise. With that in mind you need to get up at silly o'clock.
Once you have light you are treated to one of the greatest spectacles of British wildlife watching and, of course, you cannot forget the unique soundscape. It's a good lek with at least 15 males struttng their stuff. The intensity noticeably increased when females appeared to watch the show,

Hare Today

13/4/2018

Perhaps we expect too much of our weather but it still seems that the season is limping on towards "proper" Spring rather than galloping. A few projects are underway at an early stage some of which might produce a result - Kestrel, Black Grouse and Badger.
I was parked up by a field scanning for Black Grouse when I noticed three very active Hares running around. They continued carousing around for some minutes and once or twice came in range of the camera.
I suspect that Mad March Hares were more likely to be an April phenomenon in Scotland anyway.

A Cunning Plan

13/3/2018

Increasingly I like to work close to home tackling the more difficult challenges or rare animal and birds.
I set myself the challenge this winter of getting pictures of Water Rail.
Perhaps the hardest part was choosing a site - one that was not much visited and where I could work. Eventually I found a spot and baited it. After about a week I needed to see what was appearing. I really wasn't sure but I sat and waited. After about a half an hour of seeing my regular birds the Rail wandered in front of the camera. I did an internal, silent high five. It is visiting regularly now but so is the big bruiser that goes by the name of Pheasant. So my issue now is how to deal with that dilemma. The bold one putting the shy one into the shade so to speak.

Return of the Stoat

18/1/2018

Winter is here - lots of snow and unpleasant weather. That said, it is probably worse both to the North and the South of where we live. The roads can be tackled with care so I ventured out to my hide to get photos of the smaller birds that visit, in particular the Long-tailed Tits. A snowy backdrop is generally very photogenic.
At one point I saw a movement in the distance and thought it was a Squirrel then No, it must be a Stoat. It soon approached giving me an all too brief once-over before departing. Last August I witnessed a Stoat take a vole in exactly the same spot. This time it left empty handed.
A rare moment of thrill for a cold day and it was soon time to return to the car, try to warm up, then head home.

Over Ear

19/11/2017

My hide is at a particular location to get pictures of Red Squirrels so I see them all year around. At this time of the year I am looking to see if the ear tufts are present. There's a little bit of variation; I think that the adults have fuller and earlier ear tuft production but its hard to be sure. The ear tuft season is generally November until March.
The squirrels are still coming to grab my food offerings then beating a hasty retreat. They seem bent on thwarting my efforts in getting a picture, however this day one relented. I had, what I call, moved the furniture around a bit so it was initially a bit confused. As a result it went to the end of the branch and swished its tail to indicate displeasure. Nevertheless it got the food and I got a pleasing picture. Result all round.

A Rare Sight

18/8/2017

I spend quite a bit of time in hides, often alone in my own hides. It is monotonous but not necessarily boring. This week I had a rare sight. A (Bank) Vole was foraging close to me. I noticed it and was hoping it would come closer although it barely showed above the vegetation. From the corner of my eye I saw a movement. Then it was all over. A Stoat has caught the Vole. Fortunately It remained around for a few moments before Jays approached and it disappeared into cover.
It all happened so fast I was glad I use my camera almost daily otherwise I would have been so gobsmacked that I wouldn't have taken the shot. I am sad for my late furry friend although realistic that this is how Stoats are and there's nothing we can to prevent it; we just have to admire and wonder at the intricate balance of nature.

A Butterfly Success

6/8/2017

The news about UK butterflies is, in the main, depressing with general decline throughout. The Comma, is however, a success story. It used to be confined to southern parts of the UK but is now found widely, if sparsely, across a good part of Scotland. This fresh individual was photographed in North Perthshire earlier this month. The reason for the increase is twofold. Firstly is is responding to climate change allowing it to benefit from a warmer Scotland (doesn't feel it today). The other reason is more intriguing. that it has been able to switch food plant. Previously it preferred hop but this is no longer widespread so it has switch to nettle. Any Scottish little boy could tell you how abundant nettle is.
Could other Butterflies switch foodplant. I think the answer is yes. I think that Northern Brown Argus uses Cranesbills in Scotland but this will remain our secret for the present.

Time for a Chat

23/6/2017

Summer is definitely here, with warmer and wetter weather. Lots of birds are breeding but, in general, they are less obvious since they are now paired up.
I don't use a mobile hide very often but I dusted it down for a pair of Whinchats. The male (pictured) is one of a pair, fairly close to a nest. I worked the hide close over three days and was able to verify that the birds were OK with the intrusion.
The only time the birds were genuinely worried is when a Kestrel came close, hunting. The chats abandoned the nest and perched together on the gorse until the danger had passed. The Kestrel did leave with a prey item but we could not ascertain whether it was furred or feathered.

The Wood is Alive

24/5/2017

Spring is here and lots of African migrants are arriving. Flycatchers, Waders and Terns, and Warblers like this Wood Warbler. This is a male proclaiming a patch for himself and one other - provided it is a receptive female.

For hours every morning he sings his heart out: surely the sweetest song of all our Warblers. It is still a fairly common bird of Western Scotland but becomes increasingly less common in Eastern Counties so we treasure the song which we hear only in selected places. It is also declining overall so one day we may have to travel much further to hear it.

Spring has sprung

18/4/2017

Walks locally are revealing plenty signs of Spring migration with sightings now of Sand Martins feeding and gathering nest linings, Chiffchaff and Blackcaps calling from tree tops and most recent have been our first Swallows and Willow Warblers. Our resident birds are busy too with male Dunnocks chasing females, and our first young Blackbird of the year.
The trees are now bursting forth with young leaves and plenty of blossom.