Bog Myrtle & Peat

Having returned last night from a week in North Uist, it’s difficult to put into words the overwhelming excitement, delight and glory of the past few days. Bits and pieces will appear on Working for Grouse (and elsewhere), but there is such a weight of material that it would probably capsize this blog and drown all who sail in her.

There were corncrakes and little terns and legions of glorious waders, and in the hills I found bog owl fledgelings, eagles and caught trout for the pan. So much to see, and a fantastic distraction from the miserable gloomy cloud of cold weather hanging over this year’s grouse hatch that I was quite lost in the moment of it all.

Much more to come, but I couldn’t resist posting this picture of a corncrake at RSPB Balranald which I found on Sunday last week. I was delighted with this, but actually took several better pictures a few moments later. Processing photographs, typing up notes and spinning some sketches into paintings will take weeks, but I’m keen to start while the memory is still fresh.