Bog Myrtle & Peat

A note in brief to record the arrival of the first proper skeins of pink-footed geese now coming into Galloway from the North. I’ve heard of birds coming down for the last few weeks, but I actually saw my first skeins while waiting in the butts high up on the North face of Benrinnes above the Spey on Saturday. The distant jangle of voices from over the Moray Firth became a roar as the grey geese shuffled formation and passed several hundred feet over my head without drawing breath.

And again this morning, several skeins came down over Parkgate and Ae shortly before 9am, and the Solway is slowly filling up with welcome wanderers. Their arrival is always one of the final indicators of autumn, and now that the trees are turning and the brambles are getting fat and dusty, summer has closed the door.