Hugh’s News – 17 April 2020
Well, it came as no surprise to me that we have another 3 weeks of isolation at least! I hope you are not going too stir crazy stuck at home. I have actually found that the last month has gone quite quickly (surprisingly), I think by keeping busy on various tasks and activities, so I hope the next month passes just as rapidly.
Since my last instalment, I have seen my first pair of Swallows, so summer has officially arrived! On Wednesday I also saw a single House Martin down Boathouse Lane. I always smile and feel good when these birds return to breed, and marvel at the huge return journeys they make every year. Wheatears are still passing through, and I have seen a couple of male birds on my walks. They can turn up on any field with short grass or that has been recently ploughed, so keep an eye out.
We have received a number of contributions from members, so a big thank you for sending these in to share.
Long-standing members may remember Martyn Jamieson, one of our Honorary Members now living in the Outer Hebrides. As well as being situated in such a beautiful place, he is also fortunate that there have been no Covid-19 cases reported there so far!
Martyn has sent us an update on what he has been seeing from his croft with photographs. These include a pair of White-tailed Eagles he saw from his window! The adult eagle (on the right, big, probably a female) had caught a greylag, and the immature came along hoping to share. This was a bit smaller, so probably male. The hooded crow between the two eagles really gives an idea of the scale of these huge raptors. They are not known as “flying barn doors” for nothing! A week or so previously he encountered a very noisy otter, that called incessantly for hours. Martyn thinks it was probably a cub recently abandoned by Mum. At one point it chased a couple of greylags just for devilment, just like a puppy. Unlike the English otters that favour rivers and are largely nocturnal, the otters in Scotland tend to be coastal and their feeding more governed by the state of the tides. So they can frequently be seen during the day. Are you a teeny bit jealous of Martyn now?!
Bill has shared some photos too. A Starling posing in the sunshine in his neighbour’s garden looks really magnificent. We often don’t take a second look at this species but the markings can be stunning. On his local walk down to Arrowe Park, Bill saw a Heron and a two-headed Mandarin Duck!
How did you get on with the Find the Bird photo from Brian last time? It is easier to pick out if you were able to zoom in on the photo. There is in fact a Treecreeper creeping in the crevice!
There is growing evidence to show that taking an interest in birds, and nature in general, can be really positive for one’s mental health. So during these troubled times, we should consider ourselves fortunate that we can still benefit from our mutual love of birds, even from looking out from our windows and gardens.
So keep the binoculars handy, keep smiling and keep safe!
Hugh Stewart
