Stoats

I ended up chairing the meeting about stoats yesterday evening and despite some concerns that it might easily become a mud-slinging fest' it was a very good meeting. The local SNH staff talked frankly about past failures and positively about the feasibility of eradicating this unwanted addition to our mammalian fauna. I was impressed by the analysis from SNH. I was very impressed by the contributions from the floor and general positive vibe of the meeting. At the end there were plenty of folk signing up to offer help with trapping, sightings, advice on traps. Having read the repeated and endless whining on Facebook about this issue the meeting was a breath of fresh air. Actually Facebook has been very, very useful in building the data set with which to base the report which should gain national SNH support and funding, so well done to MG for his initiative in setting up Stoats in Orkney ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/1541957316039219/?fref=ts ) and gaining many records which would have otherwise been lost.

I'll put stoat links in a place in the side panel.

Plenty of thrushes still passing through, many as I drove down the track this morn. Finally managed to get the car fixed today after it was backed into by a local coach... what a pain, thus transport problems have recently hindered birding activity.

Over the weekend there were interesting warblers in the garden, unfortunately I failed to nail the one... maybe it was a Hume's, no calling tho. I spent a lot of time searching for it and the chiff I'd seen very briefly, no further show.

Here are a few recent pix anyway.

Not the best pic of Brindled Ochre as I sorted the trap before work on a morning this week, it is really rather dim at that time now. One of my favourite moths.

I love seeing the winter thrushes bombing by

Dusk from home