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Unexpected Visitor
I will readily accept that many people reading this post will not believe that I saw a hoopoe last week. Sightings of hoopoes in Dumfries and Galloway are so rare that the last recorded and verified appearance was almost five years ago. But I gladly open myself to scorn and disbelief by saying that beyond… Continue reading
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A Tractor
The “working for grouse” project took a huge leap of progress this afternoon when I took receipt of a 37 year old David Brown 996 tractor. The nature of my work on the hill is on such a small/remote/awkward/experimental scale that trying to find contractors who are willing to co-operate is not an easy task.… Continue reading
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Summer in the Galloway Forest Park
What better way to spend a miserable sunday in June than by taking the dog for a walk in the Galloway Forest Park near Shalloch on Minnoch. There has been some minor coverage in the news about phytophthora outbreaks in Galloway, but it’s hard to over-emphasise just how dramatic thousands of dead larch trees look… Continue reading
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Christmas is Coming
As part of a unrelated side-line, it’s worth mentioning that my preparations for Christmas have begun. Buying hatching eggs on eBay is an extraordinarily mixed bag – I’ve had 100% hatches and I’ve also had nothing to show from a clutch of a dozen. Sending eggs through the post is a hit and miss… Continue reading
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Hands-On Heather Beetle
Just worth posting as a post script. that I took my first photograph of a heather beetle while looking at some cutting work on Langholm Moor yesterday. The little blighter was skipping cheerily along a clump of star moss, and I managed to gather him up just long enough for a photo. Quite a mild,… Continue reading
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A Cloud Over Langholm
After another fantastic visit to Langholm Moor on Wednesday, I came away with a surprising feeling of gloom. I was sent to gather information for the Heather Trust on treatments for heather beetle on the south end of the moor, and spent a great afternoon with Simon Lester (the head keeper) under chattering harriers and… Continue reading
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The Rabbits Return
Over the past few weeks, the Chayne’s recently scant rabbit population has suddenly started to boom. Rabbits have been turning up in totally unexpected places, and the hayfield which usually holds just two or three sullen old hoppers now wriggles with more than two dozen keen, sparky little bunnies. My ferreter’s eye is already… Continue reading
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A Hebridean Redshank
Not being a naturally gifted photographer, I can’t resist getting a little carried away when I finally manage to take pictures that I’m pleased with. I saw these two on the machair near Balephetrish on Tiree and simply had to wind down the window and press the clicker – yet another triumph for the idle… Continue reading
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The Joy of Broodies
What an all-consuming process this partridge rearing has become. I must apologise to my grousey readers, since this blog has become a chronicle of partridge rearing during the past few weeks, but while it seems to be a diversion, there are always grouse at the heart of this project. And even if there weren’t, trying… Continue reading
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The Broody Partridge
The partridge which began sitting a few weeks ago has been impressively steadfast in her attempts to incubate the plastic eggs I gave her. So much so that I replaced them with real eggs on day 22 of a 24 day incubation process this morning. I had imagined that she wouldn’t tolerate my being anywhere… Continue reading
About
“Shout on, Morgan. You’ll be nothing tomorrow”
Swn y galon fach yn torri, 1952
Also at: https://andtheyellowale.substack.com
Bog Myrtle & Peat 