Snow still about.

The sudden spell of wintry weather is still with us with temperatures just above freezing during the day and minus at night.There is thick snow on the mountains opposite but luckily the snow has disappeared from around our house as we are so near the warming influence of Loch Ness. A friend came to visit us from the nearby village of Foyers yesterday and she could not believe we were snow free as they had a foot of it surrounding their farm and more snow was falling. It is amazing the change in landscape you can see in a short distance as you are climbing upwards. The birds are being well fed and so is the predatory sparrowhawk. This one was in pursuit of a siskin but both flew into the window of the conservatory as we were enjoying a quiet lunch. The sparrowhawk was really winded and kindly sat for a few minutes posing for these photos before flying off into the forest. I picked the siskin up which was shocked but still alive and left him on the bird table to recover which he did befoere flying off to live another day. 

Long Tailed Tits.

We have had noisy gangs of long tailed tits around recently and they have been returning every winter.They are easily identifiable by their black,white and light pink plumage and small black button like eyes.Their prominent black tail with white edges is longer than the body and is used for balance.They feed mainly on insects and spiders but in winter when this source is scarce they visit the garden feeders for vital nourishment.Because of their small size they often huddle in groups at night to keep warm.
We had a flurry of snow last Friday just when we thought we were safe although it did lay on higher ground and is still on the mountains opposite. These little birds had better huddle up tonight as it is still chilly and zero degrees are forecast.

What do they know ?

Colder weather and snow is forecast for later this week and the birds seem to sense something chilly is in the air. A wider variety of species are now appearing at the feeding stations and gorging on the sunflower hearts and peanuts. Yesterday we watched as a mixture of finches - goldfinches, chaffinches and greenfinches - came to visit often at the same time. We were really pleased to see the great spotted woodpecker make a brief appearance on the aspen tree by the house as he has ignored us for months.

 

We also had a rare visitor at the bird bath of a 'tree sparrow' with its prominent white chest. This may not sound very exciting but have never seen one before. It is a finch-like bird, smaller than a house sparrow with a deep conical bill adapted for seed eating. It is on the Red List of high conservation concern and is in decline....so we were very fortunate to even see one.

Little and Large greenfinches.

Noticed an unusually large round scruffy juvenile bird resting on the side of the bird bath without a care in the world. I was able to get a few inches away for some close up photos and it just gazed casually back at me. We had quite a conversation, although a bit one-sided, and I was able to recognise it as a juvenile greenfinch by the olive green head plumage, the distinctive finch-like beak and the yellow bars forming on the side wings and tail which are later used as a visual threat to other species.
It is strange to think that one day it will be as sleek as its male parent who was eating greedily nearby at the sunflower heart feeder and pecking at any other bird who dared to come near.

Juvenile siskins

The new young batch of siskins are very noisy at the moment. This juvenile female and colourful green and yellow male siskin sat on the edge of the bird bath for ages not quite sure what to do next - the first time they had seen a bird bath I guess. They always look very large and fluffed up. A swarm of them will suddenly fly down and sit on the gravel around the house and peck at the ground, maybe for insects or grass or just being curious. The cats surprisingly ignore them now and have even walked up to them on the ground, sniffed them and then walked over them as if they know they are vulnerable. Sometimes the offspring have a few spats but not for long. They found something interesting here on the azalea bush and had a few words with each other and flapped about then settled down to eat happily together.....that's youngsters for you eh!

Boats and birds.

A few private yachts and cruisers have been braving the elements this week as well as the usual trawlers and working craft. The cruise ship 'Lord of the Glens' glided quietly by with passengers looking forward to their Easter break. I don't think they will be doing much sunbathing on the upper deck though as the temperature has dropped to single figures again and snow is forecast for next week on lower ground. When we moved up here 14 years ago it was snowing in April then and we thought it was really wonderful.
The birds have been singing their hearts out lately and it can be really noisy at certain times of the day, making you feel as if you are in the tropical rain forest somewhere. Flocks of colourful green and yellow siskins have arrived and are gorging on the sunflower hearts on the 'siskin roundabout'.

Down at Loch Garten Osprey Centre EJ, the female osprey, has recently returned to the nesting site for the 8th season and is awaiting Odin her mate. The Osprey Centre opens on April 1st and is a good visit as you can watch these magnificent birds on the giant webcam as they dive for fish and bring up their young.
We will be looking out for Ollie - the osprey who has a nest somewhere near Loch Ness as we often see him from April onwards hovering over the loch looking for a fishy lunch.

Woodpecker rescue...

We were enjoying a nice relaxed breakfast looking at all the birds gently feeding when the great spotted woodpecker descended on the suet ball hanging from the tree near the window. He is always a joy to watch as he is rather large and colourful and not seen very often due to his fleeting visit. Suddenly the predatory sparrowhawk swooped from behind and surprised him and us. The woodpecker crashed into the window and the sparrowhawk flew off to seek another target.Luckily the woodpecker bounced off the glass and landed in the pile of soft snow head first. Quickly donning wellies and a coat I found the stunned bird and attempted to lift him out of the snowdrift. He ungratefully showed his thanks by squawking at me so loudly that I thought gloves would offer me more protection from his sharp long beak. I quickly carried him across to the safety of the bird table and even put the suet ball in reach in case he was hungry.Several birds attempted to land on the table but were quite amazed to find it occupied by a rather unusual species. He was really stunned and we were quite worried although we did see his head move now and again. He sat for a good hour before a big fat blackbird landed and caused him to come to his senses. We were very pleased to see him actually move up the strut of the bird table even though he did attempt to peck at the wooden structure. After a few minutes he flew across to the trees nearby and we breathed a sigh of relief...Woody Woodpecker lives to fight another day.

Feed the birds.

 long tailed tits

We have now been snowed in for 2 weeks with more forecast over the next few days along with freezing temperatures. We had a blizzard yesterday for most of the day.We cannot get our car to the top road and have relied on our guests and neighbours for a lift into Inverness for basic provisions. Our guests have had to leave their cars between the top gate and the road as the lane down to the cottage had nearly one foot of snow laying on it. The Hogmanay celebrations in Inverness were cancelled due to the extreme weather conditions and treacherous roads. I have given up trying to defrost the bird bath and it is now used as a feeding station after noticing that the birds have been eating/drinking the snow. In this weather you realise that the birds really rely on you for food and we have counted 17 different species at the various feeding stations dotted around the garden.

male siskin and robin

Most are present all year round, some are winter visitors and a few rare ones were spotted. The species ranged from Britain's tiniest bird, the goldcrest weighing in at just 5g and measuring 8.5cms from beak to tail, to the predatory sparrowhawk which can weigh up to 400g and can be 35cms in length. Between these two extremes we have seen coal tits, blue tits, long tailed tits, great tits, siskins, robins, chaffinch, dunnock, greenfinch, goldfinch, blackbird, great spotted woodpecker and a rare visitor- the fieldfare. Also the ever present pheasants and hooded crow. Guests at Aspenwood and a neighbour reported seeing a rare snow bunting in their gardens. They all need feeding.

tiny goldcrest

White Christmas

It started snowing here on Saturday 19th December and we have had flurries and heavy showers ever since, even snowing on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It was really magical especially as we were watching the Bing Crosby film 'White Christmas' as the snow actually fell giving us and our guests a real White Christmas. Our guests have had to leave their cars at the top of the lane leading down to the cottage as the snow is just under one foot deep. The temperatures are well below zero during the day now with the threat of -10C tonight. Look at the forecast for the Highlands. Beautiful as it is we have not been able to get out in the car since last Tuesday as the driveway is sheet ice and the side roads are treacherous. Birds have been well fed and the deer and red squirrels have turned up now and again.

Enjoy the photos......
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all who enjoy this cottage diary.

Long tailed tits arrive.

Very cold today with freezing fog drifting down the Great Glen from the west. For a few hours in the late morning the fog cleared revealing a clear blue sky with snow still laying on the mountain tops opposite. We wrapped up warm with the intention of clearing our gutters of debris but found that the leaves in the gutters were actually frozen to the plastic pipes and also the hose was frozen. We had a quick vote and abandoned the idea and decided to wait until the temperature was at least over zero. While we were inside warming up with a special coffee we noticed a flock of long tailed tits arriving on the nut feeders and suet balls...their first appearance this winter.

Sparrowhawk at Aspenwood.

While we were doing the changeover at Aspenwood Cottage yesterday we noticed this magnificent sparrowhawk sitting in the aspen tree outside the lounge window. He was watching the bird feeders along the fence with anticipation but all the birds had seen him coming and were well away. He stayed for a while and dried himself off by fluffing out his tail feathers. The male sparrowhawk is quite smaller than the female of the species which is rather unusual in animal life.
While we were at the cottage we had arranged for two new bathroom blinds and a new vertical blind to be fitted in the main bedroom. As we were taking down the old fittings in the master bedroom a red squirrel ran along the fence during an interval in the showers and munched away at the peanut feeders. Unfortunately the fitter drew up in his van and this noise was enough to scare away Cyril the squirrel...but at least they are still about.

Spot the Buzzard.

Yesterday dawned clear and bright so we went into Inverness to collect a few items. As we were driving back home along the shoreline of Loch Ness a buzzard swooped low in front of the car and quickly disappeared into the woodland. They are unmistakable as they have a wingspan of between 3 to 5 feet depending on their age. A bit further on we passed another one sitting absolutely still in a tree, only spotting him as we drove past. By now I had the camera actually ready and sure enough another buzzard flew across the road and rested on a nearby branch in the forest. He remained absolutely motionless and blended magnificently into the woodland scene with perfect camouflage.

Pheasant family.

The family of 7 pheasant chicks we first saw in June as little bundles of fluffy feathers have now grown. They still go round together as a family and we can now see there are 4 females and 3 males. Mother pheasant is always vigilant even though they are as big as her now. They strolled up the driveway yesterday and rummaged in the vegetation under the bird feeders. Mother stayed at the top of the driveway keeping an eye out for any possible danger. After a long while she gave a high pitched call and they all ran towards her, although there was one stubborn male lagging behind. Our guests staying in Aspenwood said they looked forward to the pheasants daily circular tour of the cottage each morning. The males are still a bit scruffy but in the next few months they will hopefully smarten their appearance if they want to attract the local girls.

Great spotted woodpecker.

While we were talking to our new guests yesterday evening in the cottage and looking out of the window at the view the great spotted woodpecker suddenly alighted on the nut feeder outside the lounge window. Our guests were thrilled as they had not seen one at such close quarters before. We have often seen him on our feeders and it is good to know that he really puts himself about the area.

Where have all the sunflowers gone?

Every morning lately we are greeted with the high pitched squeaking noise of a swarm of siskin finches waiting for the sunflower heart feeders to be topped up. They wait noisily in the nearby trees until I replenish the feeders and then they attach themselves for dear life to the roundabout nearly biting my hand off in the process. The rather scraggy speckled youngsters make the highest pitched noise. We've had to buy another feeder as our regular popular visitor is Cyril the squirrel who scares the birds away by his sheer size and acrobatic skills.

We have a stream of squirrels visit during the day but they all go by the name of Cyril. In winter the coat is thick and red and it has a very bushy tail and long ear tufts. Now in Summer their coat is turning lighter in colour ready for the warmer weather and the ear tufts are smaller and pale. We can identify the different squirrels by their ear tufts as some have got a few whispy hairs remaining on their ears. The squirrels are very impatient and will try the nut feeders as well as the bird table for anything else to eat until the catering service is open for business.
Fascinating red squirrel facts.

Bullfinches at Aspenwood.

On Saturday at Aspenwood we suddenly saw the unmistakable brilliant flash of a bullfinch by the car port. He was soon joined by a female and was very protective of his partner, even fiercely chasing off another admirer before returning to her side and watching over her. We watched fascinated as they collected feathers from the dandelions for their nest.

The siskin roundabout.

This month has seen the arrival of swarms of colourful siskins, one of the smaller members of the finch family. The male is a bright yellow-green with a black crown and the females are more streaked and less yellow in colour. In the breeding season they build their nests in coniferous woodland. At one time the species was confined to the pine forests of the Scottish Highlands but the 20th century practice of pine planting in Britain has greatly benefited the siskin and they are now seen more commonly throughout the country. They feed on the seeds of pine and spruce trees in Spring and early Summer although the crowd in our garden have taken a great fancy to the sunflower hearts in the feeder. Ray designed the tray underneath it to catch any food and stop it falling down onto the ground as we do not want to feed all the mice in the forest as well. The tray tends to act like a roundabout and increases in speed with the volume of birds on it...great fun to watch.

Greenfinch.

Just when we thought that Spring was around the corner the weather this week has been alternating between rain and snow. At the moment you cannot see across to the other side of Loch Ness as the blizzard is almost horizontal with the strong winds. It is about 3C but the good news is that double figures are forecast for Wednesday so we might be able to escape for a day out then. We had a pre-arranged appointment with a person from VisitScotland last week and after a lengthy look everywhere in the cottage we were told that Aspenwood was awarded a top 4 star. We also had a visit from a greenfinch on the nut feeders which was a bit more exciting and much more relaxing. The chaffinch seemed a little bit intimidated by him and that menacing powerful beak. In this weather the birds and squirrels need feeding more than ever as their natural food source has not hatched yet. Purchased a 25kg sack of peanuts which should keep the wildlife going for a while.

Chill out in the Highlands.

The snow has been laying for a week now and because of the overnight frost and cold temperatures it has been really icing up. Today we went up to Aspenwood and cleared the lane down to the cottage and the path to the back steps with 6 bags of rocksalt and a lot of sweat. Also topped up the nut feeders for the squirrels and birds...although we do not have guests staying at the moment these creatures still rely on us for food in this very cold weather. Unlike the grey squirrels, the reds do not hibernate and can be seen all year round. Had a slight flurry of snow earlier on today and the temperatures have been well below freezing all day. Last night we experienced an amazing pink sunset followed by a night full of stars. We have seen some dramatic sky scenes recently and living here is always beautiful whatever the weather...although the coal fire and whisky are always welcome in these chilly temperatures.

RSPB Bird Watch

The weekend of 24th-25th January is the Big Garden Birdwatch.
As a member of the RSPB we were asked to record the highest number of each species of bird seen at any one time in the garden during one hour this weekend. This helps the organisation learn more about the various birds and how they are faring throughout the country. After putting out a variety of foods at the feeding stations it was very relaxing to sit down and watch the different species come to eat. During the hour I recorded; blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches, coal tits, dunnocks, goldcrests, great tits, long tailed tits, robins and a treecreeper. I did spot an unusual male Blackcap in the shrubbery and got quite excited when it actually landed on the bird table. It was an aggresive little thing and did not like sharing the food.
Watch it in action.