Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

The Elusiveness Of Wildlife

by admin - 17:10 on 25 January 2013

Squirrel James had promised capercailles, but despite an early rise and an hour's journey to his secret location, somewhere in the Cairngorms, none were to be found. The one he saw last weekend had clearly enjoyed enough of his company.

So after a late breakfast we turned our attentions to an SSSI (Site of Special Squirrel Interest), with similar results. Lots of coal and great tits, a few chaffinches and blue tits, one or two crested tits, but the red guys kept their distance. And because of a difficult background of half heather, half snow, no worthwhile bird snaps were gathered.

Undeterred, we tried again by taking the road through a grouse moor in the hope of some drive-by shooting. This time we saw lots of our quarry, all of which kept a cautious distance. Snappery was further hindered by snow flurries and strong wind.

For the sake of the Snapathon, one shot was spared in the delete frenzy which followed my return to The Rural Retreat (where cats had rampaged all morning, an exhausted Matchgirl reported).

There's still no snow here. I think The Big Freeze is nothing but a rumour.

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