September 11, 2023 - Scottish Crossbill (Loxia scotica) These finches are found in the pine forests of northern Scotland. They mainly eat seeds from the Scots pine, using their distinctive bills to pry them out of the cones, and also feed on other tree seeds, blossoms, buds, and shoots, along with some invertebrates. Breeding from January to June, females build large, bulky cup-shaped nests from twigs, heather, grass, plant fibers, moss, animal hair, and feathers in the upper levels of pine trees, sometimes with assistance from males. They incubate the eggs alone, but both parents care for the chicks.

Me to all my friends: do you think Brennan Lee Mulligan would like my bird?

The only REAL indigenous Scots

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Because the mother and father often travel to widely separated feeding grounds, youngsters belonging to the same family may be raised in very different environments.

"Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" - Bruce Bagemihl

Chaffinches and Scottish Crossbills commonly associate in flocks; the mating system involves (usually monogamous) pair-bonding.

"Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" - Bruce Bagemihl

In addition, some Scottish Crossbill males are bisexual, forming bonds with both males and females simultaneously.

"Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" - Bruce Bagemihl

calendrical bird-taurs part 2 i kept on forgetting to post this one. january('s human half) here is, like, partway between the canon art and my own pre-canon-art design for her..

a tiny kirk beside a tiny river at the end of a tiny road

went birding with my partner to the Forest of Birse today and I *think* we spotted a Scottish crossbill! :^)

Crimson, like this cute little cartoon Scottish Crossbill (Loxia scotica). IRL, I’ve only seen paler coloured males. What’s your local reddest bird? Ours is probably the robin. One flew inside our house once and I was so worried for it but was able to get it safely out again! #mothyandthesquid #yarn #knitting #crochet (at Mothy and the Squid) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClLZdcDKTiH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

My Great British Wild Year: Part 1 of 5-Birds and mammals

With the much-anticipated Scotland trip for my Mum’s 60th birthday and an Anglesey holiday in June it was fantastic to watch wildlife in England, Scotland and Wales this year, the first time being in all three in a year for me which excited me immensely. And what an extraordinary, packed and sensational year of wildlife watching it has been. We were mesmerised by watching giant White-tailed Eagles prominently glide through the air on magical Mull and the Scottish mainland at Loch Eil as well as in Poole Harbour, it was an epic year of Hen Harriers as I saw male and ringtail in all three countries; late winter birding bliss as we saw majestic overwintering birds in all their glory in Hampshire. The sharp call of Chough and the breathtaking sight as these ebullient crows dashed through the sea air and picked at grass brought us much joy in North Wales. I was elated to watch and photograph iconic and prepossessing Red Squirrels in England, Scotland and Wales, a key piece of my year. Sabine’s Gull and Shore lark two of my Hampshire greats of my birding year, the latter enjoyed in Norfolk too where my first ever Long-eared Owl and Twite and later in the year the Bee-eaters were key birds of my 2023. A precious sight of a fine New Forest Spotted Flycatcher at Pig Bush nudged my bird year list, finishing in the 200s for the second consecutive year, ahead of last year to confirm it as my highest ever in June. Our mammalian dreams were realized north of the border when finally seeing Otters in the wild on Mull in April, we were euphoric to witness these smooth, shiny and wholesome animals and seeing Bottlenose Dolphins on the Moray Coast was amazing too. In these five posts I will briefly explore some of the highlights with butterflies and moths, dragon and damselflies and other wildlife, flowers and fungi and taking in landscapes the other themes.  

Red Squirrel on Brownsea Island, Dorset in September

It was a rapturous year of bird of prey watching for me, with majestic Golden Eagles seen in Scotland too and I was fortunate to get many phenomenal views of Ospreys a bird I adore including mating and fishing in Scotland, at Rutland Water and a few times in Hampshire and Dorset in late summer/autumn. A falcon trio of pleasurable Peregrine especially the Winchester Cathedral family, magical Merlin and handsome Hobby dashing through the air; Little, Barn and Short-eared Owl enjoyed a lot, many Marsh Harrier, Goshawk and many a Sparrowhawk including at home were some of many highlights. I had a Corn Bunting sensation seeing them extremely well in Scotland and at Martin Down in 2023, with my first ever Cirl Bunting at Portland. I had an extremely strong Cuckoo spring across Hampshire, with Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker colossal winter experiences. Garden Warbler, precious Tree Sparrow and Tree Pipit, Water Pipit, Dipper, Yellow Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll, Pied Flycatcher, Black Redstart, brilliant views of radiant Bearded Tits and wondrous Wheatears were other highlights. I could not forget Redstart and Yellowhammer; Crossbill, my first Firecrest for years and Woodlark vintage birds especially in the New Forest, as well as Redwing, Mistle Thrush, charming Hooded Crow, Red and Black Grouse including lecking in Scotland and glorious Grey Partridges and Red-legged in Norfolk and Hampshire.

Another Peregrine I enjoyed seeing this year at Durlston in June

Marsh Harrier at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen in Norfolk in July

Buzzard at Lakeside Country Park, a beautiful sight as ever

A Corn Bunting at Banff in Aberdeenshire in April

Heartfelt views of Kittiwakes right from the start of the year across the UK were crucial to my year, with Anglesey’s angelic Arctic Terns and many Sandwich Terns in all three countries other standouts it was a privilege to see tern colonies at Brownsea Island and Cemlyn. Garganey, Goosander, Gannet, courting and nesting Great Crested Grebes; summer plumaged Slavonian Grebes for my first time in Scotland another key species of my year first seen in it on January 1st, wonderful Whimbrel, pristine Purple, Green, Common and Curlew Sandpipers and Pink-footed Geese. Puffin, Black and Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, four divers: White-billed, Great Northern, Red-throated and Black-throated and another newbie for me Black-crowned Night Heron. Common Crane, White Stork, Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret, Long-billed Dowitchers, Ruffs, Little Stints, Long-tailed Duck, Whooper Swan and Surf and Common Scoter were other top birds of my year. Also of note were Ring-necked Duck, Scaup, Bean Geese, Water Rail and Common Gull. Our September week off where we got brilliant Bittern views at Minsmere was flanked by a Hampshire phalarope sighting on each Saturday, Red-necked and Grey.

An Arctic Tern at Cemlyn, Anglesey

The courtship routine of Great Crested Grebes at Lakeside in February

Reds, Sikas, Fallows, Roes and many Muntjac seen made it a dreamy deer year and I got exquisite and exciting views of every species. Home Hedgehog, Harbour Porpoise, Common and Grey Seal, my first ever Stoat at Stockbridge Down, an eerie winter daytime bat sighting, Fox and loveable Brown and Mountain Hare were other mammal highlights. Pigs seen multiple times out for pannage in the New Forest a quintessential autumnal sight. Other breathtaking moments were watching Water Voles swim across a channel in the reeds at Rutland Water and in a pool at RSPB Minsmere.

The Minsmere Water Vole

I mentioned other of my standout birds of the year in this post in November: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/734418555548925952/some-key-birds-of-my-2023

SCOTS PINES, OCTOBER

Planted throughout the campus, between buildings and lining the roads and paths, these tall elegant trees now tower over the tops of the buildings, while still letting all the light enter through the windows. These are Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris), just one of many trees around UEA campus. Here is a photo I took from the UEA twitter account that did a better job than me showing their size:

Easily identifiable by their orange bark and blue-green leaves, they adds another dimension of colour to the foliage of the campus. They remind me of the Monterey cypresses that grew outside my window when I lived in San Francisco. However the Scots pine is the only truly native pine in the whole of the United Kingdom! It can be found across the country in various heathland, but is abundant in the Caledonian pine forest of Scotland.   Here is what the UEA tree tour guide has to say:

The rest of the guide can be found here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/documents/20142/494241/uea-tree-trail.pdf/64acbd66-215b-3806-6df1-4c7690f92de5?t=1575452242911

As well as for their beauty, they are an important tree species to a number of rare wildlife. Due to being an evergreen coniferous tree, it provides much-needed shelter for birds during the Winter months, when the other trees are bare. Three birds strongly associated with this particular tree are coal tits, goldcrests and crossbills. They also provide for other wildlife, such as insects like beetles, weevils and moth and butterfly caterpillars, as well as the threatened species the red squirrel. In Scotland, Scottish wood ants live along and underneath the bark, and the trees can become hosts to stump lichens. The extreme height of their treetops make them excellent nesting posts for large rare birds like ospreys and golden eagles. For humans it has use as a strong softwood, used widely in the construction and joinery industries.

For all these reasons and more, we should take good care of these trees. In 2020, black spot needle blight was discovered to have infected hundreds of Scots pine trees in four forest farms of northeastern China. As the fungal disease progress, the needle of the pine died and turned grey with black spots. Just like in the case of ash dieback, we need to be wary of diseases like this, and be careful not to let them spread to new environments, countries and even continents, where there effects may be much more severe!

As an added October-themed ecological note, here’s a photo of an anatomically-qiuestiomable bat skeleton, who seems to have evolved with a backwards ribcage:

I could totally do birdwatching hot takes. Got quite a spicy one about the Scottish crossbill. :0

2022 Bird List

My final bird total was 127 with three new lifers, Ring Ouzels, Crested Tits & Scottish Crossbills. My list for the area where I live was 82. Obviously the highlight was those Ring Ouzels. Finding them by myself after years of missing out on them was brilliant, getting them on my home patch was especially satisfying. It had been a while since I'd taken my binoculars out with me but I recently saw a lovely Grey wagtail around the corner from me so that prompted me to start taking them again. I then managed to see Snipe, Woodcock & two Water Rail to boost my list in the last few days of the Year. We had a few days of incredibly hard frosts & freezing temperatures which probably brought the Water rails out into the open. It also meant that a lot of my plants in the garden , especially my succulents have turned to mush. Some I have lost but hopefully a lot of other plants will re- emerge in the Spring. My list for 2023 is off to a good start with a couple of Grey Partridge, haven't seen any of them for years. Hoping I can beat 82 this year.

SwynWriMo Day Ten – Love is Stored in the Garlic

Elinor’s Recipe Book

Write about 10 significant meals that your character has had in their lives.

Lady Elinor DunBroch had a whole host of cooks that worked during the day, making dishes for tourists that came through and who helped with special events and holidays, but that did not mean she did not herself cook. She liked to get her hands in a bit of dough or wrestle with a meat casing. She could skin an animal as good as the hunters, possibly even better, because she always took her time when she cooked. For the most part, she let the cooks go about their business, she had hired them because they were good, but there were certain holidays and dishes that Elinor always oversaw: or made herself.

Hogmanay -- January 1st Shortbread and Black Buns

It’s said that to have good luck on the New Year, the first foot into the house should be a dark, handsome man carrying shortbread, coal, salt, a black bun, and whiskey. It is always an argument, who the dark and handsome man should be, but Fergus usually wins. He cracks off the top of the whiskey and guzzles it down as soon as his boot hits the threshold. The whole family laughs and cheers and toasts to a good year, before they open gifts and send the children off to bed.

Burns Night -- January 25th Haggis with Neeps and Tatties

One of Elinor’s favourites: Burns Night. The children complain about the Haggis, but once they’re old enough, Elinor allows Harris to recite the Address to Haggis and he doesn’t complain so much. The first year he does it, he says it quietly, reading from the page that Elinor has printed out for him. By the time he’s twelve, he’s bullied into getting up on a chair, pink in the face from a bit of whiskey, and recites it from memory, voice echoing through the halls over the sound of the bagpipes:

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,      Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!      Aboon them a' ye tak your place,      Painch, tripe, or thairm:      Weel are ye wordy o' a grace      As lang's my arm. [rest of the poem]

Merida’s Birthday -- March 26th Full Scottish Breakfast

Elinor gets up early to make Merida’s breakfast on her birthday. When Merida is little, she only makes half, because Merida won’t eat it all…too impatient to get out and start her day. As she gets older, she cleans her plate and licks it for good measure, much to Elinor’s displeasure (but secret satisfaction.) Merida grows up and stops loving the gifts that Elinor gives her and Elinor eventually simply gives up, but every year, she wakes up early on that wonderful day in late March to the sound of crossbills and rain and makes a full Scottish breakfast.

Raspberry Harvesting -- Summer Solstice Cranachan

When Elinor makes cranachan, her fingers are always stained from being out in the fields, picking raspberries. The glens and hills surrounding the castle are weighed down with them, dotting the landscape in red. All through the spring, she has watched them grow; waiting, scolding the children when they come home with red mouths and red fingers, too eager to wait for the berries to ripen. The children get a little bit of whiskey in their pudding and lay out in the early summer sun—red from hair to cheeks to fingers—grinning and full.

Martinmas -- November 11th Black Pudding and Almond Horseshoe Cakes

According to legend: St. Martin comes in the winter, riding a white horse. A time to begin battening the hatches for winter, the making of Martinmas dinner is one of quiet reflection for Elinor, as she takes stock and says goodbye to her lovely gardens until spring again. It can only be so sad, though, because she has a warm fire in the hearth and a warm man in her bed, and four children that never let her rest, couped up in the castle.

Christmas -- December 25th Christmas Cake

Christmas is quite the affair at Cawdor Castle. They invite the whole town, old wooden tables line the Great Hall, and the feast takes days to prepare. The cooks and kitchemaids bustle back and forth. There is always some disaster: whether it is the triplets stealing pastries before they can be served, the lights on the fourteen foot Christmas tree in the foyer, or someone letting in the hounds through the back door to eat the Christmas ham (it has happened more than once…) but through it all, one thing can always be counted on: Elinor’s famous Christmas Cake, a Briar specialty passed down through the generations…on Boxing Day, she makes one special for all the employees who have worked so hard the previous night.

Cawdor Candies -- Year Round Traditional Scottish Tablets (Cookies)

There is a little tourist shoppe attached to the Castle. It sells t-shirts and tote bags, mementos for those voyaging to them to take back. All the children spend a whirl working it during the busy seasons and even Fergus eventually learned how to use the cash register—though, he is hopeless at counting change. By far the best seller are the Scottish tablets that Elinor makes special with a little whiskey and cinnamon, sometimes, in the summer months, she adds dried raspberries too. You (the triplets) can always find a tin hidden away with a few tablets in them, Elinor’s personal stash.

Also, these recipe cards were inspired by my grandmother’s that I was given when I was up in Ohio...

Scottish Crossbill (Loxia scotica) >>by Peter Cox

To go cold turkey - Mindmap

All Interesting Aspects - Mindmap

Early Iteration