Bog Myrtle & Peat

After a heavily wader-oriented week in the Outer Hebrides, I went around my own hill this afternoon to find that the curlew nest I’ve been keeping a close eye on has been raided and now lies empty. It looks like the eggs were taken around a week ago, only a week into their incubation; a… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

Can’t help looking to the skies as the red grouse hatch gets underway. It has been miserably cold and wet over the past seventy two hours, and the occasional periods of warm sunshine have done little to improve the situation. We are definitely seeing a slow spring in 2015, particularly in comparison to last year,… Continue reading

After an alcohol-soaked stag weekend in Budapest, I was driven to the airport by the happiest taxi driver in Europe. Until that point, most Hungarian taxi drivers I had met had been sour, glum-faced fellows with a phenomenal ability to falsify fare charges, but this final driver was a gem. We chatted to and fro as… Continue reading

Having been off the hill for the weekend on account of a trip to Budapest, I headed back up to reset the traps and have a look around this afternoon in the sunshine. Despite only having been away for a matter of days, the ground has sprung to life in my absence, and the cottongrass is… Continue reading

As a postscript to the discovery of long eared owl feathers yesterday, it’s worth including this picture of the specially adapted serrations on the leading edge of the first primary. This comb-like configuration is reckoned to be part of the owl’s many adaptations to enable silent flight, as well as the flossy, velveteen coating to… Continue reading

I’ve been meaning to get out early to see what the crows are doing in order to inform my trapping strategy over the next few weeks, but there comes a stage when early is just late. When I arrived on the hill at 3:20am this morning, it was without having slept, buoyed only by coffee,… Continue reading

I made an unfortunate discovery during an improvised fox drive through a strip of spruces this afternoon, and was deeply disappointed to find the predated remains of a long-eared owl on the mat of fallen needles. I was excited to find that the owls had returned to this strip when I heard them displaying in… Continue reading

Having written yesterday about nesting curlews, I came across one of the nests last night as I left the hill after a quick check around the larsens. The hen got off and away low and silently, and I went forward to find her nest in the most appallingly naïve and obvious spot, bang in the middle… Continue reading

Any news on the grey partridge front? We haven’y heard anything for a while on them. Are you going to continue with your hatch and release policy this year? I’m not working with grey partridges at the moment for the simple reason that I just don’t have time. I absolutely loved the rear and release… Continue reading