A quick walk on a fairly uninspiring day, round Wedholme Flow.....
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| Obliging Bullfinches in the carpark.... |
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| Wedholme was definitely damp! |
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| Washed out winter colours.... |
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| Patterns .... |
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| ..and a bit of enhancing the colours on the computer. |
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| Natural browns, purples and the silver of winter. |
While we were away in the Cairngorms, I did, (despite a very full itinery!), manage a few sketches. They were done from photos, in the evening, in the hotel room, where there was a single 'normal' lightbulb. It was with relief, that I looked at them in daylight for the first time - the colours were ok! I have worked on different pieces of paper that will be made into a 'January Sketchbook'.
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| Oystercatchers on the Cromarty Firth. |
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| An Teallach. |
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| Gairloch sunset. |
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| Sheep in a very cold and snowy stubble field... |
Most holidays - if you do them properly, are hard work and this was no exception. Our holiday was with Heatherlea and I couldn't recommend them more highly. When asking about their trips - 70% of participants are repeat visits - that says it all. The hotel, food, staff and guides were excellent...anyway a few more random pictures, as I sit here in the aftermath of Storm Isha - with slates off, greenhouse glass shredded and guttering and gate hanging off hinges ...How lucky were we to have chosen the week to go away that we did - I'll take snow anyday!
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| Mount View Hotel - Heatherlea's base...we left at 8 daily to make the most of daylight hours. |
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| With 13 of us split between two minibuses there was plenty of space ... |
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| Snow Buntings at Aviemore... |
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| Everyone as really friendly and for those of us just with binoculars - those with telescopes were more than happy to share ... |
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| On occasions conditions were extreme - we were treated to doughnuts after this! |
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| Ever hopefull! |
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| ..and a very rare picture ...of us! |
After our Hawfinch spectacular we headed to the coast - via Meikle Loch - where there wasn't a lot but an impressive reversing up the lane, having bulldozed our way into it! Then onto Collieston for a final sea-watch.
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| Lunch at the River Yvan. |
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| Loch Meikle. |
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| Collieston. |
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| ..as the sun set..... |
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| ..and the moon rose.... |
This time we headed off up to Kemnay where we had heard there was a flock of Hawfinches. A lovely walk and yes, we saw and photographed Hawfinches....and then a very large flock of Brambling flew across ...as we got back to the van for tea and shortbread nacreous clouds shone - the morning just kept giving!
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| Bramblings piled into these trees. |
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| Nacreous clouds. |
After Aviemore and the Waxwings, we headed to Dava Moor for lunch and Red Grouse, before heading to the coast - suprisingly snowy! On the way ( Gollanfield area) we travelled past a number of stubble fields and were lucky enough to see Corn Buntings - not a bird I am familiar with. Then on to Alturlie - where it was bitterly cold for a bit of sea watching. Lots of ducks
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| One of the better roads... |
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| Looking for Corn Buntings ...successfully, but no photographs. |
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| I love the stitch-like marks in the snow made by the stubble .... |
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| Guessing it's about to snow again! |
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| The lane that we reversed up so we could get out ...I say 'we' ...I mean our excellent guide! |
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| Sea watching - lots of Wigeon etc and remarkably for the north of Scotland a Great-crested Grebe. |
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| I became distracted by the colour of the sky, the form of the sheep and the marks of the stubble. |
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| Cold! |
Our first target for the day was Grouse - both Black and Red, but with the snowgates being shut we had to go with plan C ...or was it D? Anyway, it was a real treat to unexpectedly find 33 Black Grouse - some of which were displaying. Leaving Dirdhu and Bridge of Brown we made our way towards Tore..after waiting for a low loader with generators to heave itself out of a ditch. We were hoping for Crossbills at Tore, but not today. So onto Loch Garten, splendid views ...
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| The usual site for Black Grouse. |
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| Black Grouse head... |
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| Displaying Grouse through an iced-up windscreen. |
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| ..and many more! |
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| and even in trees.... |
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| Keeping an eye out for Crossbills. |
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| ..and beautiful views.... |
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| A snow-covered Loch Garten.... |
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| ....and below.... |
