ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Sunday 5 May 2013

I FOUND ONE TOO. (05/05/13)

Yesterday KEITH at HOLDINGMOMENTS posted a picture of a horrible scruffy feral pigeon. He did but he also posted a wonderful image of a rare bird here. A White Wagtail. This morning on the way back from an arduous walk I found two of them.

_MG_0331 copy_MG_0336 copy

Here they are……mine are better as they  both blacker on their black bits and whiter on their white bits. Mine are Pied Wagtails. Despite having read a large PDF document explaining in infinite detail the difference between the White and Pied Wagtail I’ll be blowed if I’m much wiser. The folk who wrote the PDF seemed a bit confused and they had little excuse as they were ringing them and had the little blighters by the handful. For those of you with an hour to kill you can read all about them HERE. (Hold CTRL+click and the PDF should download). Seriously though. Let us hear a big round of applause for Keith. The boy done good!

This morning I waited till gone seven as the weather looked a little unsettled. I then set off up the hill and joined a forestry track. It isn’t marked on my map so I had no idea where it was going I was trying to get above the treeline for some good views.

_MG_0324 copy  Wandering up through the wood I came across these. They are Hoof or Tinder Fungus. Fomes fomentarius. These two are about normal sized and the size of a ponies hoof……..This one……………………..

_MG_0323 copy   It is a giant. It is a good eighteen to twenty inches across, a real cracker.

_V0G6247_8_9_tonemapped  My plan was to get to the little sheds just on the sky line to the left of centre. They are something to do with the hydro-electric pipe line that you can see running up the hill. Once I got to the forest track it was zig-zagging nicely in roughly the right direction. Then after a mile or so it shot off back down hill. I wasn’t very happy. I recall saying so to the dogs. It is impossible to walk through these plantations as this land will be on, at least, it’s second crop of timber. They do drag out most of the stumps but it is still impossible to traverse on foot. It’s a helicopter job. Even the fire breaks are a horror to walk up.

_V0G6244_5_6_tonemappedA dead tree basking in the sunshine. This is a fire break.

_V0G6232_3_4_tonemapped This was as good as the views got.. Not a brilliant Sunday morning but I have experienced many much worse.

Tomorrow I’m cutting short my stay here and heading back to Kinross. My new computer is being delivered on Tuesday. I’ve also booked the dogs in for a haircut. Wednesday I’m heading back north to Glencoe. I haven’t planned anything after the thirteenth when I leave the Kings House pub. The Kings House is at the top of Glencoe.

Scotland has a lot of big holiday parks but not very many small camp sites. I’ll do some research as I’m staying up here till October.

Have a good week.

 

20 comments:

  1. Yeah I often look at Whitewags and Piedwags and think...eh?

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    1. Douglas, I would never have known. I just assumed there was the one sort.
      The White ones travel about more so that should make life easier.

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  2. The wagtail differences are a bit too subtle for me.

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    1. For me as well John, I'll keep taking pictures and Keith will tell me what I've taken.

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  3. Thanks for the plug Adrian.
    Yea, these wagtails can be a nightmare to separate, and it's only quite recently, in birding terms, that they have been split into 2 separate species. Interesting PDF link.
    The view in the last was worth the uphill effort.

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    1. You are welcome Keith. I thought you were joking yesterday then looked it up on Google.
      I will be back here so assuming the weather is clement I,ll try and find a way to get higher.

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  4. I had to look it up but it seems it is the white one we have here in the summers. Saw one the other day but not staying to have its photo taken.

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    1. Monica, There are differences but they depend on season and maturity. I suspect the eye of the beholder has something to answer.

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  5. Lovely real Scotland, and what about that mushroom??? It must have grown large because it was Scottish.

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  6. Lovely real Scotland, and what about that mushroom??? It must have grown large because it was Scottish.

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    1. Bob, it is competing with the hoof of a Clydesdale.

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  7. Yes, i agree with Keith, that view was worth the trouble. great view.


    peter

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    1. Peter, I really hoped to get higher and also have a bit more light. I enjoyed the walk.

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  8. I keep saying what beautiful area you're in. One could tell how my our story was going to end when you say you didn't have a map. Once we're off the trails here we call it bushwhacking and it's a tough one.

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    1. Red, I did have a map but neither the track or the pipeline are marked on it.
      Not just tough but impossible for me.

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  9. I like the Wagtail; but the Fungus is very rare; it's big!

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    1. Maria. we do get big bracket fungi. These are common in Scottish Birch woods....less common the further south you go. The common one is Birch Polypor.

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  10. Hi Adrian...Where am I and where am I going (don't answer that hahaha )
    I am so far behind!!
    Love your Wagtail, tail : ) Yes the old bugger is a great birder ; )
    That is large fungi growing there, and they do look like hoof's or elephant feet !!
    Your scenery shot's are worth the rough going,the last is wonderful!!
    New computer...well now that home on wheel of your is going to be worth a lot !! Best make sure it can't be driving of by some outlaw in them there hill!! : )
    Grace
    Ring necked Duck is a relative of the Tufted duck!! The difference is the Tufted has a "ponytail" ; )!!

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  11. Grace the biggest tinder fungus I've seen. I believe in days of yore they used to pop an ember from the fire on one and then it was still smouldering away when they caught the next mammoth or sabre toothed tiger. I wonder if they carried it in their pocket.
    The tufted duck sometimes keep their ponytail flat. Don't know why.

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  12. I think they only invented White Wagtails a few years ago!!!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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