Monday
18th
July Light SW Cool and cloudy, early morning
heavy rain
Another walk in the Cairngorm area with an aim to
circumnavigate Loch Morlich and the hope of finding a capercaillie.
Rain falls as I make my way along the Old loggers Pathway towards the
south west end of the loch. There are plenty of fungi along the
pathway but each specimen is damaged in some way; boleti with holes
caused by slugs, amanita with damage caused by twigs and pine
needles. Why should every photograph of these superb organisms? I
start my collection of fungi in less than perfect condition. A new
facebook group beckons . . . funny fungi.
Rain stops for brief moments and birds are very few, just
a group of coal tits come to the first pishing session.
A few common hawkers are hawking as I follow pathways
deeper into the forest. Most of the forest seems to have been
planted. I must check on this as the history of the area would be
fascinating.
Off the path, I search an area of seemingly open and
original forest. The trees are of all different ages and sporadically
well spaced. The heather, moss and rush are up to my thighs and I
almost put my hand into a wood ant nest. No capercaillie here.
For the next mile or so I look at all of the wood ants nests. Some are large, some small, some empty.
I arrive back at the loch side and take the dirt road
north east.
It has been a very quiet walk with very few birds, just
the occasional coal tit or willow warbler with a few swifts
overflying the trees.
Then a long-tailed tit crosses the path in front of me.
Then another. I start to pish. More birds are coming and going as a
large titmice flock is passing, mostly high up in the trees. I pish
harder and birds come close; willow warbler, siskin, goldcrest and a
few long-tailed tits. Then a very close crested tit is on a branch. I
click and the camera focuses on a leaf!
The flock passes. The chance for classic crested tit
photograph is gone.
I walk on and pish a male redstart. It is definitely the
way to see birds here in the forest.
Psssst. Pssst. Pssst......
Trout in the stream, flowers on a young Danish girl;
Clara the youngest is wearing a beautiful yellow hawkweed headband
made by her sister. Mum and Dad insist on a photograph. A family from
Copenhagen. Great!
Back at the youth hostel again, an evening of The Matrix
and Rolling Stones music. Perfect.
6.38
Miles 462 feet elevation up and down
Green
Year list is now at 268, still twenty eight ahead of this time last
year.
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