It's been frosty for a fortnight and last night it snowed enough to leave a fair covering. Unusual here, the last time this happened was winter 2011 - 2012 I think. If it carries on too much longer both Wren and Stonechat populations will be significantly reduced.
There's been a fair bit of cold weather movement with Redwing and Fieldfare involved over the weekend and during the week. Lapwings drifting past in ones and twos yesterday and today. A single Black-headed Gull went through, that's early; up to four Song Thrush hanging about and Woodpigeon numbers building up. Down at Loch of Bosquoy there were six Oystercatchers.
The cold has disrupted the Snipe and they're all over the place, even on the front "lawn". Jack Snipe on Saturday, just lucky observations, seen in flight a couple of times.
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Top two Saturday, after more snow Sunday, bottom one.
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The feeding station is full of birds, Greenfinch numbers are low with just 6 today, but there have been upto 27 Chaffinch, there were 13 Goldfinch on Saturday and 10 Lesser Redpoll today. Add to the that the usual Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Robins, House Sparrows and occasional Feral Pigeon and Starling invasions and that gets to be a lot of birds. So attacks by both Sparrowhawk and Peregrine on Saturday were not unexpected. A couple of Hen Harrier sightings today.
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Lesser Redpolls.
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The Teal do not seem happy about the weather.
Surprisingly there were three Pintail on Saturday. Shoveler are still evident, but the prospecting Coot and the Little Grebe have disappeared.
I'm still trying to identify lichens and fungi. They are a challenge. However, managed to find Flammulina velutipes (Velvet Shank) and Tremella mesenterica (Yellow Brain) over the weekend, both on gorse. Rubbish pictures though, and I even went back and tried again with the Flammulina...
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Flammulina velupites with Tremella mesenterica above.
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As for the lichens I'm stuck on some Cladonia, I tried the K test on one today which appeared to be +ve yellow/brown in might mean that's C. polydactyla, equally it may not be.
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| Harray Kirk, Saturday. |
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Home and the Wee Wood from the south.
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Wee Wood in a blizzard.
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Pesky lichens I'm still trying to figure out, one of which is very common and I really should know.
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Ochrolechia parella - inner tube lichen, thanks G.
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Cladonia, K+ yellow/brown.
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| Loch of Bosquoy today. |
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This week I have mostly been listening to Rozi Plain, Benjamin Clemantine, Bicep and Caribou. Currently grooving with the Don (6Music).
Looking forward to the new A Winged Victory to the Sullen album Invisible Cities. Not looking forward to a visit to the dentist this week....
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Harray Road, late morning today.
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4 comments:
Have a look at Ochrolechia parella for one of your lichens. I remember it as looking like a load of miniature inflated inner tubes across the thallus. Inner tubes are found in tyres. Pirelli is a brand of tyre. Pirelli= parella. Simple!
Hi Alastair. Just a line to say how much we appreciate looking at your blog. Great pictures too. Dave
Thanks Gibster, that's a help. I'll try and figure out one or two others on stone for myself. Years and years ago I did do some of the more obvious ones on trees, so not such a huge learning curve but the more crusty ones on stone I find it hard to figure out where to start, photos online and in the references I have often don't look much like what I find in the field.
Thanks David, hope you're doing well. I do look at the blog every now and then, I should put it in my blog list, might do that now.
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