Cresty spotting
Yesterday (Friday) was spent clearing snow from in front of the workshop, and off various roofs (18inches of snow must be pretty heavy); and out clearing snow breaks and dangerous overhangs from the nearby roads. Afterwards I waded up Cairn Rynettin, where I saw a lone male Bullfinch attempting to keep himself alive through heather seed consumption. Am I wrong in thinking that it’s pretty unusual for a Bullfinch to be hanging out on top of a wind and snow swept hill eating Heather?
Today myself, Tom and Dougie head over to the Osprey centre. Apparently there are feeders, and a great chance of seeing Crested Tits, a bird I’ve not seen before. When we get there the feeders are busy with Great Tits, Coal tits and the occasional Blue Tit. And then, after a reasonably short wait, a pair of Crested Tits come down to feed. The Cresty is a spiky character, with punk style hair, and a machine gun staccato call. Myself and Tom (check out Tom’s web site by clicking this link) spend a little time trying to get pictures of it feeding, but the light is not great.
Then, as we’re watching, a Red Squirrel approaches, before climbing the tree with the feeders, and taking food from a box with an openable top.
Anyway, below are my shots. Remember it’s just a digital compact.
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- Tom and Ross (site manager) spring into life as Dougie fells an overhang
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- So the wind’ll be coming from the North then
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- Hmm, that looks like a…
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- Bullfinch?!
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- Snow up to my thighs, splendid.
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- A cresty in a tree
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- After 7 hours of sitting alone, below freezing, in a haunted forest, I nail the cresty shot
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- And the red squirrel shot.
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- Feeders, what feeders?
That’s not snow, this is snow.
Yesterday is started snowing. It was snowing along, nice and slowly, maybe dropping a couple of inches by the end of the day, and we thought we were due another 3 or 4 inches overnight. When I looked out the kitchen window this morning there still seemed to be the same fine snow that we’d seen yesterday falling from the sky.
However, Tom talked his way through my early morning haze, insisting that there had been at least 6 inches overnight. In fact, when I then ventured outside the snow was at least a foot and rising. It snowed and snowed, and when myself and Tom went looking for a nearby hide, late morning, we had to wade through at least 2ft of the stuff. I, of course, thought this was the best thing I’ve seen in a long time.
Here are some pics of the last couple of days. On Tuesday we went log cutting with Alice, the volunteer co-ordinator, and Clair, a long term volunteer from Insh, who knew my co-resident on Islay, David, as she’d worked with him for a week at Insh. Afterwards I went for a walk in the woods North of the lodge and found some Capercaillie poo, and spotted what I’m fairly sure was a vole.
Yesterday myself and Tom chopped wood and checked a fence for snow breaks. Today, only Alice made it in, due to the snow, and schools being closed, so our main job was to clear snow from paths.
Comments will follow when I get a chance… Comments now added.
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- Myself and Tom, just lowly volunteers, have to stack the wood that Alice, Clair and Dougie saw up
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- Tom modelling one log carrying device; myself modelling the “It’s a hat!” hat
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- I’m fairly sure this is Capercaillie poo – it seems a bit big for grouse…
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- This lichen, on a Scots Pine trunk, is almost certainly a Cladonia, but it seems greyer and more speckled than the id pics I’ve found
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- Whereas I’m fairly sure this is Usnea Rubicunda, also on the same tree.
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- The workshops.
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- It’s started to snow
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- Woohoo, it’s properly snowing…
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- Ah ha haaa, it’s up to my knees!
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- It’s not so easy making one of these in 2ft of snow
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- The culmination of years of wishing.
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- Myself and Tom went to find a hide. Tom turned back, it was pretty knackering walking through 2ft plus of snow. Just yards later I found it, and got these shots of a buzzard
And some pics from Monday
On Monday Dougie, Tom and I were tasked with checking a fence to ensure it hadn’t been breached by any fallen branches. The volume of snow over the last couple of months has caused plenty of branches to snap under the weight. It gives me a chance to see some of the woods near the lodge. Apparently quite a bit of these woods are planted, having been felled many years ago for timber for various wars, mining, etc. Old pictures show the lodge with just a few trees dotted around it, whereas it is now surrounded by semi-mature forest.
In the afternoon myself and Tom get a chance to drive out towards Rynettin, South of the lodge, to see the sun setting against the Cairngorms.
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- Dougie and Tom negotiating a slippery river crossing
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- Bynack More
My pics from Sunday
On Sunday, officially a day off for us vols, Dougie, the long term volunteer here, took myself and Tom out to Memorial wood as part of our induction. From the edge of the wood we could see most of the Cairngorm range. Spectacular.
Later I walked along tracks to the East and South of the lodge. On the way back to the lodge I was lucky enough to see 3 Long Tailed Tits flying out of some Birch near me.
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- I think this is Cairn Lochan behind Creag Nan Gall (the steep wooded incline in the foreground)
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- Dougie (left) and Tom, my fellow volunteers.
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- Cavernularia Hultenii on Scots Pine bark.
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- Sun down causes the light to change through numerous different shades. I’m not sure my camera can do it justice.
Improved communications
So, I’ve worked out that I can connect my laptop to the Forest Lodge network. So, I’ll try and upload some pictures from the last few days. Firstly, on Saturday before coming down the snow covered track to the lodge at 6.30pm, I went for a walk near Loch Garton, in the Scots Pine woods. As mentioned in my previous post, I saw a Goldcrest and a couple of Treecreepers, as well as Great tits and Coal Tits. The Loch was totally frozen over. And I found (Roe) deer tracks in the wood. Apparently the local RSPB deer policy is for an almost zero tolerance of the deer in outlying regenerati0n areas, but deer in the wood are left alone.
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- Time to say goodbye to “Uncle Pat’s” croft.
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- Loch Garton
Arrival at Forest Lodge
It’s Sunday morning and the sun is shining. But it’s cold. Very cold. When I woke this morning I was in need of the toilet, but it took me a good half an hour to pluck up the courage to get out from under the two duvets on my bed.
I have a twin room all to myself, and myself and Tom are the only volunteers in a flat big enough for 6. The flat is just a tiny part of the lodge, which harbours 3 other flats, offices, and meeting facilities. The walls are clad with wood, and the ceilings are high. This place was built in the 1880’s. As a result it must take a bit of energy to heat. There is ice on my bedroom window.
Anyway, the point of this post is not to complain about the conditions, because this place is beautiful, especially with 6 inches of snow outside; it’s to say that I don’t have internet access from my laptop. I’m writing this from a PC in the RSPB guest access room. So, I may not be able to update for a while, and pictures aren’t going to be easy.
Today, I’m going to walk about the place a bit, to see what’s about. Apparently it’s minus 10 outside, and even the birds are hiding away. After yesterday’s Goldcrest and Treecreeper, I’m hoping for big things.
Time to master the art of cross country skiing
I let it slip to John that I’d once been on a dry ski slope when I younger, so he hired me some cross country skis and we went out skiing for the day. However, my exploits on the dry slopes of Pembrey were around 20 years ago, and it’s fair to say that I don’t remember my skis then being quite as thin as the ones I’m wearing today.
To give me a fighting chance John and Stella kindly walk me up hill (Creagan Gorm), from Glenmore, then explain that we will ski down the other side.
Some way between Creagan Gorm and Tulloch, Stella manages to locate a cairn created to mark the spot where one of her distant relatives died, whilst staggering back home across the moor drunk one night in 1885. Later on the walk we also discover an abandoned croft, coincidentally built in 1885. John discovers that fascinatingly, the ceilings have been lined with newspaper from the same decade. We get a bit lost and end up getting back to Tulloch after dark.
It’s a fine line between sliding down the hill in a controlled manner and feeling like I might not be in control anymore. It turns out that starting on a down hill slope was not an advantage. In fact it was bad. As I had no idea how to stop once I hit a slope I would either crash into a mound of heather, lose balance, or just sit down to avoid either of the other two options. There was only so many times I could fall over, going downhill, before I opted to walk. On the flat things are different, and by the end of the day I’m liking skiing a lot. I’d like to give down hill skiing a go sometime, with some proper downhill skis. And maybe some tuition.
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- The view from my bedroom window in “Uncle Pat’s” croft.
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- Lairig Ghru. Somewhere I must visit one day.
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- A greater Spotted Woodpecker, as we leave Glenmore, is a nice way to start the day out
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- John and Stella next to a proper gnarly old Scots Pine in a mixed plantation nr Glenmore
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- This one is for Jane (soon to be fellow Focaliser) – see how John loves his dog too…
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- Rowan is clearly happy to be out today
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- It’s easy when you’re not moving
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- Stella, amazingly, finds the cairn she rebuilt with her uncle many years earlier
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- John and Stella try to navigate is out of Narnia
From Findhorn to Aviemore…
Today I left Findhorn, after a very pleasant spell in the TFL office. Many thanks to Jane and Jock for putting me up, and putting up with me, for the last couple of weeks. For the last few days I’ve stopped at the telescope by the road each morning, to view the birds on the water. I’ve seen Widgeon, Red breasted Merganser, Mallard, and other ducks, and I now wish I’d spent more time checking them out.
This morning the TFL office accompanied me to the Universal cafe for tea and cake, by way of a leaving party. The cake was good, but very expensive, which seems to me to be rather typical of the offerings available from the Findhorn Foundation.
This evening I finished up in the office and then drove to Aviemore (which is very busy). I met John and Stella in town and they then lead me back to the croft that had been owned by Stella’s uncle up until he’d died recently. As I was driving further from sea so there was an increasing amount of snow on the ground. Here, just outside Nethy Bridge, there is 3 or 4 inches on the ground, and tonight the sky is cloudless. The stars are especially bright thanks to there being no street lamps or house lights for miles. It’s beautiful.
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- The sun setting over Findhorn bay as I left this evening.
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- I had to stop on the B9007 after Burnside, to take a quick picture of the snow covered moor with the moon overhead
Some snow in Findhorn
Today there was a sprinkling of snow on the ground when I walked to the TFL office. It’s not much, but it makes me happy.
The mood is cheery in the office. I’m finding the work on the web site interesting, and a good opportunity to brush up my html/php/css skills.
And last night myself and Jane went to see Sherlock Holmes. It’s really rather good. The best film I’ve seen since “In Bruges”. Entertaining from beginning to end. Definitely worth seeing.
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- Kate boldly charging through the snow on her way in to the office
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- Snow in The Park.
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- A female pheasant outside the TFL office window
Walking near Forres
Today I go walking in some Scots Pine woods near a place called Half Davoch (Altyre woods). Some of the woods are open, with large gaps between the trees, but a lot of what I walk through is planted in plantation format. I spend a bit of time walking through an area of around 25 years growth, and then a younger plantation where the trees are just 7 or 8 years old.
In the open woods the few standing Scots Pines are fantastically tall, majestic looking trees, probably hundreds of years old. Their bark is deeply fissured, and there are plenty of young broad leaf trees growing around them.
In the maturing plantation area there are a few sickly looking Birch, and much less light. But despite this I see lots of moss and lichen on the trees and ground, and hear constant bird noise from the Tits, Finches and Wood Pigeons that are flying around me in amongst the trees. I walk into the woods, far enough that all I can see are trees. It would be easy to imagine that the woods went on forever, but I can always hear the traffic on the nearby A940.
On a side road on the way home a hare runs out into the road ahead of me, and a small deer with a small white tail crosses the road at speed.
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- This birch was just off the path entering the pine plantation.
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- So, I have a book about lichen, and I’ve looked through it, but this could be one of about three different types. I’m going for Evernia, because I like the name.
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- This moss covered the floor of the pine plantation
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- This is birch seed ready to disperse. It’s lightweight and easily taken by the wind.
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- Cladonia cornuta.
The good, the cold and the quite ridiculous.
Life in Findhorn is good. I walk to & from work, in the TFL office, every day. It’s cold but that’s good. I walk alongside the bay, from the village to the park. There is a telescope on the way, and on Friday morning I take a bit of time out to watch three pairs of Widgeons on the bay.
The web site work is going ok. Check it out. Please bear in mind that I didn’t design the new site. I, along with Sky, from the foundation IT team, just helped moved it from the old design to the new. A lot of content on the site relates to tree dedications bought through the site. The office is always upbeat, and it’s great to be involved in a project that has a positive impact on so many people’s lives.
Today, Saturday, I get up at 9am. I feel good about the day ahead. I go for a walk along the bay. Although it’s overcast, the air is clear and there is snow on the hills. The tide is high, but there are a few birds in the bay. Mallard, Widgeon, Redshank and Curlew.
On the way back to the house I pop into the Findhorn shop to pick up some cake, crisps and Hobnobs. I then break open some beer and watch the Wales Scotland match. The match is crazy, with Wales relying on a big come back again (their last one, against England, was disappointingly too little too late). I’m determined not to get wound up, but by the end of the game I’m exhausted. Wales have somehow won, even though they were second best for the majority of the match. However, it’s a while before I’m able to stop smiling, and this doesn’t seem to go down well with my Scottish housemate.
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- The sleepy town of Findhorn, a jigsaw puzzle picture waiting to happen
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- Findhorn bay, with the mountains of Easter Ross in the distance
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- Looking South West, towards some mist.
Aspen and Avatar
Today I manage to tag along on a TFL trip to Dundreggan. Alan and Mick are going to a meeting with the FCS, Jane is along for a meeting with Steve, and Dan is going to take me Aspen root collecting.
Jane comes with us in the morning, and we set off to find GM47 (Glen Moriston stand no 47). Some quality map reading later and a long walk into the woods near Ceannacroc Lodge and we find the Aspen stand. Dan shows us how to take samples and then takes a GPS reading and some photos of the stand.
Aspen send out suckers to create new trees. It is rare that they flower and produce seeds, but they can send out large numbers of suckers. As a result, a group of Aspen trees, like those we’ve found today, are usually all part of the same “clone”.
After taking the GPS reading Dan realises that we are nearly 3 km away from where we’re meant to be. But this is good news! We’ve been taking samples (19 – a good haul) from a previously undiscovered stand of Glen Moriston Aspen. It’s time for lunch, so we walk back to the van, feeling somewhat fortunate.
In the afternoon Mick joins us, whilst Jane has her meeting with Steve. The burn where GM47 is actually growing is spectacular, a narrow gorge headed by a waterfall. The Aspen stand seems to originate from two very old looking, twisted trees near the top of the gorge. It’s harder to get samples here, we have to guess where the suckers are and dig for them. But we collect a few samples and head back to Dundreggan to pick up the others following a successful day. On the way home all the passengers in the van sleep at one point or another.
Last night myself and Jane went to see Avatar, in 3D. During the adverts before the film, I felt slightly sick, especially when anything on screen was in the extreme foreground. However, thankfully, the makers of Avatar have not thrown in too many of these extreme close up moments, and after a couple of minutes of the film I forget these feelings.
I must admit, I loved Avatar. Life on Pandora is stunning, the 3D worked for me, although it’s maybe not as spectacular is it’s made out to be. But, more importantly, the story, which millions of people are apparently watching, has a very strong message. Hopefully, when the kids watching Avatar today, are making tomorrow’s big decisions, they’ll pay heed to what they felt during the film.
If you haven’t seen it, see it at the cinema, in 3D if possible. Leave your cynicism at the door, immerse yourself in the film and love it for what it is, a simple but well told story with superb visual effects.
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- Dan and Jane discuss tactics next to our newly discovered Aspen stand
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- Sphagnum capilifolium. Expect a post about the painting Jane is going to do of this in her art class.
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- Is it in my lichen book, or my fungi book, because I can’t find it…
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- The bottom of this dead tree appears to be an eco-geek’s paradise. Except, where’s all that oil coming from?
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- Woaw, all this stuff near the ground is so amazing. I think this is maybe some green liverwort.
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- Hmm, peltigera hymenina, and/or p. membranacea. Common UK dog lichens.
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- The view looking North from our side of the Glen.
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- The gorge harbouring GM47
A walk in Ledmore and Migdale Wood
Today, following an arrangement made at the Focaliser conference that I’d almost totally forgotten, myself, Craig and his nipper, Calum, and Dan make a trip up to Ledmore and Migdale wood to meet Chris Williams. Chris has had some involvement with TFL, both on work weeks and helping out with other tasks when needed, as well as posing for the photo on the front of the work week brochure. Now he has a job as a ‘woodsman’ in the wood he grew up in.
The wood is a marvellous place, lots of young growth in the midst of a good mix of trees. We walk part way up a small hill to eat lunch and then head down to Loch Migdale, which still has a good covering of ice on it. There are some great cliffs nearby, dotted with a few Scots Pine, a habitat untouched by human hand (probably). It’s easy to imagine that there might be some Peregrine nesting up there somewhere.
Many thanks to Chris, who speaks passionately about his wood. It’s well worth a visit, for a walk, or to catch up with Chris during one of the events he’s organising for this year.
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- Men of the woods
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- Craig shows us his ice testing tool
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- A Birch Catkin
More TFL web site work
On Wednesday Allan and Russell helped me pack all the Pine cones into my van and I drove over to the TFL office. It was a cold morning, but the roads were relatively clear and the journey was good. In the office I dropped the cones off and agreed to do some work on the new TFL web site over the forthcoming days.
I spend the rest of the week in the office by day, and staying in Jock’s spare room by night (Jock is the landlord of Jane, the TFL marketing manager – he’s rarely home and has very kindly agreed to me staying for a couple of weeks). Today, Saturday, I take the opportunity to walk the beach here, at Findhorn, and make use of my new(ish) camera.
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- Jane and Steve, the living teddy bear
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- Hmm, should I get the board out…?
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- Xanthoria parietina. Maybe.
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- Seals lounging about in the Scottish sunshine
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- Not North America
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- The zoom on my digital compact captures a seal in the bath
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- Some Oystercatchers and a Curlew
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- Findhorn bay by night
There are 25000 seeds to collect…
…so, myself and Russell brave the sun and the snow at Inverwick, to top up the Scots Pine cone stock. Apparently a local tree nursery reckon that they can give us trees to plant, from these seeds, by the Autumn.
It’s a hard day, with the sun beating down on us and the air totally still, I have to strip down to just a t-shirt and jacket on top. And the only reason for the jacket is because it has pockets to collect the cones in while I’m up in the trees.
At one point I see a Coal Tit in a nearby tree, and a couple of Great Tits flying about. At the next opportunity I discuss this with Russell, thinking that a Coal Tit is a good spot, at which point he proceeds to tell me that a Crested Tit was sat in the tree he was in, barely 4 feet away from him. I’ve never seen a Crested Tit before, but as much as I try to follow the noise of the small flock of tits, as they fly around in the trees near us, I don’t get to see one today either.
Back at Dundreggan all the other Fs have left. Russell cooks, I start the fire, and Steve eats with us whilst polishing off some left over wine.
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- Thanks Julie. I would never have suspected that a washing line could be so interesting.
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- Not Austria.
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- Frosted Birch regen showing through a stand of Scots Pine
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- Some birch trees, on Dundreggan
More Focaliser conference, and some post conference chores…
Last night we ate and talked and played the odd game until late into the night. I can’t remember laughing so much for a long time, especially each time Andrew De La Haye claimed “My name is Flump Jockey” during the “My name is…” game.
Anyway, Alan’s attempts to get us all in a photo were worth it in the end…
Focalisers. And Steve.
Today a lucky handful of us are able to stay on to collect some seed source for future planting. Howard and Joan collect Pine cones on Dundreggan, while the rest of us take the AWD TFL minibus to Inverwick to collect cones there. There’s snow on the ground, and sporadic snow showers, and a great view of the Glen. In fact it’s just beautiful and I wonder why we don’t have work weeks at this time of year. But then I remember Rosie saying that the early work weeks are always slow to fill. Maybe if people could just see this snow…
Where's Russell?
How many times in this blog have I mentioned that I've not had this much fun since I was a kid..?
5 Focalisers, a 4 wheel drive minibus, and lot's of snow - is there a better way to spend a Monday?
The Focaliser Conference 2010.
…I have to stop in a layby on the A84, at just gone 1am, somewhere near Kingshouse. The moon is pretty much full, and is shining off the snow so brightly that I don’t need headlights. Of course I do use them up to the point where I pull over. I prepare my bed and get 5 hours sleep.
I’m up at 6.21am, Saturday morning. The moon is still up, just about, and it’s a beautiful crispy clear morning. It’s also cold. I struggle to get out of the sleeping bag. But I do, and get some clothes on and start driving. By the time I get to Loch Lochy I have to stop for 20 minutes kip. I’m then on my way again, and I make it to Dundreggan by 10am.
So, I walk into the conference in the middle of Alan’s introduction. Alan says hello and, amazingly, there is an empty seat, which I take, as Alan talks us through some of the fantastically positive stories from TFL history. TFL stands for Trees for Life, and Focaliser is the term TFL use to describe the two people who lead each volunteer work week.
The conference is an amazing experience. The people, the location, the well chaired debates, the snow falling behind people’s heads as they talk, and the way we manage to keep ourselves entertained in the evenings – it’s a brilliant weekend. With some great snow ball fights.
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- The cameras before the storm
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- Lining up for the big photo shoot
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- Myself and the mighty Calum wear our best photo faces
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- Check out Rob’s snow comet
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- Dan seems to be hiding behind Howard, and my hands are getting pretty cold
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- That’s Gordon’s bedroom out there
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- One half of the group explores the start to the introductory walk
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- Calum plays with the legendary Alison McGillivray (check her out on youtube)
Life since the office 
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