Been away for 2 weeks in Sutherland - fab weather with great walking, kayaking, fishing and wildlife - highlights were a minke whale just 50 metres away from us and a brief glimpse of a pine martin! Pick of the birds was a Black Throated Diver and chick I found while fishing Loch Crogach and a singing male Snow Bunting on the top of Conival.
Bird news from Gunnerside is that spotted flycatchers and grey wags raised broods just 10 metres from the front door of the pub!! The house martins have rebuilt their nest on the front of our house and seem to be well on the way to raising a family. Yet more nesting is taking place in the garden, the rear nest box, having been vacated by blue tits is now the home of a family of house sparrows and dunnocks are nesting in our clematis. I think that now takes us to the following nesting species in our garden this year; house sparrow x 3 nests; jackdaw; blackbird; blue tit; swallow; house martin; and dunnock.
