In the Garden in Forres

Although I have not seen much activity out and about, this month like last, has been a busy time in the garden. The adult birds were still going to and fro gathering food or if the young had already fledged they were busy feeding in the garden. It was lovely to watch the juvenile birds. I often spend a bit longer looking at a Juvenile Robin and a juvenile Dunnock as they can appear at first glance to be quite similar but it is only when you see them together that the differences become obvious. The young Siskins, Greenfinches and Goldfinches are easier to recognise as they have usually the correct markings on their tails and they only have stripes down the front and on the head with no colours either on the front or on the head.
There has occasionally been Lesser Redpolls in the garden but I have only seen one although Frank said he saw four one morning. It would be lovely if they would appear in the garden with their young. Although I have not actually seen the Song Thrush in the garden it often sang in the early evening in the tree at the bottom of our garden. The Sparrowhawk still flies through but does not linger. Although it is a beautiful young male I have not been able to get a photograph of it.
Many of the birds at this time of year lose their first feathers and many of them stay out of sight for a while until this is passed. This is particularly true of the Blackbirds when their numbers fall drastically. At the beginning of the month for one day only, the Blackbird with the white head and neck returned to the garden. I had not seen that bird in the garden since November and even then it just stayed for a couple of days. It just seemed to pass through at the beginning of winter and then away again as soon as Spring was over. I have no idea where it was over these months. However, I have seen the occasional raggedy Robin or Blue Tit appear in the garden.
I don’t recall seeing young Tree Sparrows in my garden before so it was lovely to see them appear and watch them get fed. Their numbers increased to twelve as the month went on. It is much quieter as there are only a few Starlings around this month as mostly they have moved on. I got a lovely surprise towards the end of the month when a young Yellowhammer appeared in the garden. I have never had the young of Yellowhammers in the garden before. It was already feeding by itself although I did see an adult feed it occasionally. From then on, all three Yellowhammers came in to feed sometimes at different times from each other. It appeared to me that they just had the one fledgling but I could not be sure.
There have been some sunny days this month and the birds, particularly the Blackbirds and the Dunnocks have been sunbathing. Apparently, there are two reasons for that. The first is that it helps spread vital oils along the feathers and the second reason is that it helps drive out any parasites that may be feeding on the bird’s plumage.
There have been quite a few mornings this month when I have been sitting having breakfast and have watched the Rabbit munching its carrot and a Red Squirrel eating peanuts from the feeder or the squirrel box when a magpie has flown in and there has been a lot of activity, happy birds, adults and young, on the ground feeding. What more could I ask for!

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Blairs Loch / Sanquhar

Again, I only visited Blairs Loch once this month and saw the Mute Swans with six cygnets. While I was there I saw one Coot and one Little Grebe with young. While walking to the bird hide at Chapelton, Sanquhar I spotted this large toad on the path but we did not see any birds to record at the hide.

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Along The Coast

Grey Herons are very common along the coast and it would be impossible not to notice them. It is worthwhile just spending time to observe them as they stalk the fish. They can stand motionless for a long time on one leg before pouncing. Most birds are usually seen at Hopeman and Cummingston depending on the tide I can see some at Burghead. You can see far more birds in Burghead during the winter as many come into the harbour to shelter.
I can usually see Stonechats, Yellowhammers, Rock and Meadow Pipits, Yellowhammers and Hooded Crows at Hopeman. I can often hear Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers in the summer but I only managed to get a photo of one Willow Warbler. At Cummingston there is usually a pair of Magpies hanging around but one day there were two adults with two young on a line. This Grey Wagtail I spotted when I was walking up the River Nairn with a friend.
So far there has not been many butterflies around as they seem to be later this year. A good place for butterflies is Cummingston but all I have seen lately there are Ringlets.

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On The Dava / Lochindorb

At the beginning of the month we were up the Dava and went past Knockaneorn where I had previously seen the three Cuckoos. On this occasion, I saw one which I presumed to be one of the three I had seen last month. This time it was too far away to get a good photograph. There were various groups of Greylag Geese at Little Aitnoch, Aitnoch, Black Loch and the Lochan opposite Black Loch. At Refouble there were some Red-Legged Partridge.
Later in the month there were still lots of Greylag Geese around. At Dunearn I saw a Red Kite flying over the area. There were three Stonechats including one juvenile at Dunearn also.
As we were driving past Little Aitnoch there was a Woodcock at the side of the road. This is just the third one I had seen. A few years ago, in the same area there was one at the roadside and unfortunately I could not get a picture as it was at the wrong side of the car so I had to relent and let him take the photo. This time it was at my side but was about to disappear so I had to take a shot through the car window. I was quite pleased with it anyway.
At Aitnoch there was a family of Oystercatchers just off the road and I managed to get a picture of one of the young. There were also seven Canada Geese in a field.
We often make a long trip up to the Dava and taking in many of the back roads and on many occasions, I have seen deer. This is just the time of year when they have their young with them and are sometimes easily spotted. At Lochindorb I saw Mallards with chicks and a Curlew standing on one leg on sentry duty right at the top of an old telegraph pole.
Like the butterflies, I have not seen many Dragonflies on the go either. This Common Blue Dragonfly I saw on a walk at Loch Kirkaldy.

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Moyness

The hedging has all been cut down around the bus shelter at Moyness this year and I am finding I am not seeing as many birds as I used to. I don’t think I will ever see the long-eared Owl there again or any other Owls for that matter. I saw two Grey Partridges in a field there last month and I saw another two in another field this month. They were quickly disappearing into the rows of potatoes growing there.

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Relugas

Finally, we often go up for a walk to Tilliglens Wood near Relugas.  On one occasion, we diverted from the woods and went towards the Dorback Burn.  I saw a Reed Bunting there.  On the way back through Relugas I saw a juvenile Wheatear.

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