Birbs

Our Scotland trip 2024

Over the past week we have been on a wild adventure in Scotland, independently (rather then on an organised tour this time) we visited locations in the Cairngorms where we were based, wider Highlands and Moray to look for wildlife and we managed to cover many places and see so much incredible wildlife which was thrilling and fantastic. 

Alongside all the big wild locations visited we need to look no further than the cottage we stayed in near Duthil near Carr Bridge for exciting wildlife experiences on many occasions, set in gorgeous countryside with a view over a vast area including the impressive Cairn Gorm range and some lovely wetland and pine woodland nearby, we saw so much wildlife. Singing Willow Warblers, a sensation of the holiday it’s amazing to think the one I saw as soon as we arrived was my first of the year given how many we’ve seen and heard this week, and charming Brown Hares getting some of my closest ever views of them were a constant. Curlew, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Teal, Rook, Buzzard, Chaffinch, Skylark, beautiful Yellowhammer, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasants, amazing scenes of Pink-footed flying over a valuable chance for us to see them this year, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies, Cuckoo heard, Roe Deers, Crossbill and oil beetle in the woodland and only my second ever Stoat were some of the other amazing species seen with many seen whilst having breakfast. 

After enjoying the quirky sight of Oystercatchers (what would go onto be a star of the trip) on a roadside verge by the hotel we stayed in near Preston to break up the outward journey and Blackcap at Ralia services on the way, Sunday arrived and it was time to explore. We firstly headed to the first of many amazing locations we had visited on our past birding tours with Heatherlea in 2018 and 2023, a location with top views of an Osprey nest which is always a breathtaking sight. Then onto Laggan Dam where I’m thrilled that we picked out two stunning summer plumage Black-throated Divers in the beautiful setting of Loch Laggan and the mountains. With rain really set in we headed for Lochindorb securing our first views of Red Grouse this week a key species of the area that we don’t get at home and my first Common Sandpipers of the year. Monday arrived and we went to Strathdearn to search for eagles, finding at least one and maybe two gigantic White-tailed Eagles. In this stunning mountainous landscape along the Findhorn River it was also great to see many Common Sandpipers, Goosander and Wheatear. Later in the day we headed for Chanonry Point where my first Kittiwakes of the year, Gannet and Razorbill were waiting. On the way and way back so far north it was brilliant to see my first Hooded Crows of the trip another novelty to us not resident at home. 

We headed for the Moray coast on Tuesday and were spoilt at Spey Bay with exhilarating moments watching Bottlenose Dolphins, as we saw here last year Ospreys fishing in the river, Red-throated Divers including one in exquisite summer plumage, Common Scoters, a distant Puffin out to sea and thanks to some of many kind like minded people we met on the trip giving us invaluable advice and information on species and locations a lovely White Wagtail. It was then onto RSPB Loch Spynie when as happened last year here we spotted a Tree Sparrow a very valuable species to us alongside Yellowhammer and Brambling. Later that day we were treated to more sensational views of fishing Ospreys over the river at Lossiemouth East Beach a personal favourite location of the Heatherlea trips we’ve done and the gorgeous sight of my first Little Ringed Plover of the year as well as more Gannets. Lovely headland at Burghead beckoned before we headed back to the Cairngorms and on a beautiful sunny spring evening it was great to see Long-tailed Duck, more Gannets, Guillemot, Wheatear and the amazing sight of hundreds of pretty Knots huddled on a rock. 

Wednesday brought an early start to see Black Grouse at a lek site that another kind person we met on Monday recommended and it was a pleasure to see these birds evocative of open spaces, before getting astonishing views of Dippers one of my favourite birds that I love seeing at Nethy Bridge in bright sunshine. We then headed for RSPB Loch Garten where just a day before a dramatic nest takeover it was special to see the Ospreys on the nest and the site where Ospreys first nested here. Without that iconic pair from the Scandinavian population settling here and the amazing work of the RSPB to protect the nest Ospreys might not be so successful now across Scotland as we’ve seen this week but also across the whole of the UK with Loch Garten paving the way for the reintroduction programmes elsewhere such as Poole Harbour and especially Rutland Water that has given me so many amazing opportunities to see this bird that I love so much and have such a special bond with over the years. Also standing out that day was precious time hearing Crested Tit and Cuckoo, and seeing Goldeneye, some of many Common Sandpipers this week and Redstart. Next was a stop at Dell Woods where it was nice to see a Red Kite. We ended the day via another look at the Black Grouse spot and seeing them again revisiting Lochindorb to take in the nice views of the castle in clearer weather and we had some of the most magical and intimate wildlife encounters of the trip. Firstly we saw Common Sandpiper and Oystercatcher right at the edge of the loch from the car, then a phenomenal moment as an excellent and dashing Black-throated Diver surfaced right near to us in the car and we were all spellbound watching it and it’s partner getting fabulous views of them. The best views I’d ever got of a rarity in home areas and a species I only saw for the first time in 2020, simply one of my best ever wildlife watching moments. The icing on the cake was a similarly stunning intimate and prolonged encounter with a ravishing Red Grouse by the roadside which was an honour. 

Thursday saw our return to Strathdearn when alongside White-tailed Eagle again we achieved a massive trip aim of seeing a Golden Eagle. What a bird, the icon on wilderness. Possibly seeing a Goshawk too, some of the many Buzzards seen on the trip, my first Red Deers of the year and as we took an exciting walk up a mountainous track at Coignafearn a brief view of a Mountain Hare with only a bit of it’s winter white left another iconic species of the area were other highlights with Cuckoo heard. That day on a fine afternoon/evening we moved onto the beautiful RSPB Loch Ruthven. The summer plumage theme of the trip continued here as we were in awe of four summer plumage Slavonian Grebes. A bird we usually see in winter in Hampshire as with last year here it was a magnificent novelty to see them in their summer finery in their breeding grounds. Little Grebe, the serenading song of Willow Warbler and call of Cuckoo and another Osprey seen were also highlights here. Another magical encounter on a sunny morning awaited on a revisit to Dell Woods on Friday when we saw a glorious Red Squirrel, another heartfelt mammal encounter this week. Jay and Willow Warbler were good to see here too before seeing a Dipper at Nethy Bridge passing through again this time seeing their nest on the bridge. Another mountain walk followed that afternoon as like last year we drove up Cairn Gorm and walked a little way. It was breathtaking to take in the beautiful views in the sun and perseverance paid off as we just got a view of a Ring Ouzel late on, a fine final addition to my bird year list of the week which soared to end the holiday on 183 after ticking nineteen species for 2024. Top views of Willow Warbler and Meadow Pipit stood out there too. 

On the final morning yesterday we were invigorated once more visiting Loch Garten and Loch Mallachie before beginning the journey back south to home, getting amazing views of Goldeneyes, hearing the loudest calling I’ve heard from a Cuckoo yet this year and seeing and hearing the loud drumming of the Great Spotted Woodpecker. A Grey Heron and Moorhen was nice to see at Milton Loch soon into the journey. It was great to hear Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Woodpigeon and Magpie on International Dawn Chorus Day morning at the hotel we stayed in near Warrington to break up the return journey today. Other standout birds throughout the trip included many Common Gulls seeing them in their breeding grounds which is unique for us too as we usually see a handful at most of these at home, Sandwich Tern, Red-breasted Merganser, Greylag Geese, Siskin, Swallow, Sand Martin and enigmatic Ravens seen and heard a lot. Mountain Goats at Strathdearn alongside Highland Cattle a nice sight of the area and Sheep on the trip were nice to see.

Butterflies very much played a big role on the spring trip especially when it got sunnier with the Small Tortoiseshells at the cottage and Peacock across the week joined by Orange Tip and Green-veined White and I saw moths too including The Streamer at the cottage. A Green Tiger beetle, an incredible and exuberant species, on the path at Coignafearn was another insect of the trip as were regular bees. It was a fantastic floral week too with it nice to see seas of daffodils a beautiful sight now passed at home. Wood sorrel was a revelation of the week in the Abernethy Forest at Loch Garten and at Loch Ruthven, beautiful flowers adorning the forest floor. Wood anemone, lesser celandine, marsh marigold, gorse, broom, dandelion, daisy, violets, red deadnettle, thrift, scurvygrass, primroses, ferns, bog myrtle, wood rush especially at the cottage and a bit of groundsel there and stunning coltsfoot on Cairn Gorm were other highlights. It was good to see fungi clinging to trees including hoof fungus and much lichen and moss. 

It really was so awe-inspiring seeing all this wildlife and being in the vast mountainous landscape and also enjoying woodland, coast, wetland, moors, lochs and pretty whitewater and otherwise rivers. I found this week so fulfilling, captivating and inspiring and it brought me such valuable and refreshing tranquility. I am sad this anticipated amazing week is over and I feel it will have a lasting impact on me as I hold dear many fantastic memories from the trip.

The photos in this set from the trip are of; one of the Crossbills, a view at Pattack Falls where we briefly called into, the lighthouse at Chanonry Point, Herring Gull at Chanonry Point, one of the Willow Warblers on one of my morning walks from the cottage, Small Tortoiseshell on a dandelion in the cottage garden, daffodil at Ralia services on the way, the Knots at Burghead, a beautiful view at Loch Garten and the Red Grouse we got close to at Lochindorb.

A lovely bird to sit and watch in the uplands. A ring ouzel yesterday, hopping in and out of the boulders.

A new variant has been added!

Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) © H. L. Meyer

It hatches from bold, common, dark, female, frosty, immature, local, male, migrant, much, open, overall, pale, rocky, shy, top, uncommon, white, wild, and yellow eggs.

squawkoverflow - the ultimate bird collecting game          🥚 hatch    ❤️ collect     🤝 connect

ravenwing

Birds from Moidart and Elsewhere: Drawn from Nature. Written and illustrated by Jemima Blackburn. 1895.

Internet Archive

Birds of Thargelion

After this I just have Maglor’s Gap and that will complete my series on birds in the Fëanorian realms pre Amon Ereb!

Flora, fauna, geography and environment of Arda Masterlist

Thargelion was the realm of Caranthir, located in the north east of Beleriand just north of Ossiriand and bordered by the Ered Luin, the eastern stretch of mountains that divided Beleriand from the rest of Middle Earth

As always this is not a definitive list! Please feel free to ask more or give me a more specific category!

Around Lake Helevorn and the rivers: Red-breasted merganser, mute swan, white tailed dipper, whooper swan, smew, little grebe, red throated loon, common crane, mallard, common white eye, northern shovler, green winged teal, corn crake, spotted crake, black winged stilt

Mountains: bearded vulture, water pipit, golden eagle, kestrel, peregrine falcon, Rock ptarmigan, common siskin, alpine accentor, northern wheatear, ring ouzel, white tailed eagle, chough, spotted nutcracker, Citril finch, griffon vulture, common redstart, common raven, wallcreeper, common jay, boreal owl, white winged snowfinch, crag martin, common redstart, black redstart

Foothills and forests: black grouse, wood grouse, goshawk, grey white fronted goose, hazel grouse, little bunting, meadow pipit, tree sparrow, hedge warbler, Bohemian waxwing, common kestrel, long eared owl, little owl, marsh tit, coal tit, mourning dove, rock pigeon, woodchat strike

World building notes

-Like most of the Noldor in Eastern Beleriand, many of Caranthir’s scouts keep birds of prey. In Thargelion these are primarily peregrine falcons and kestrels. Hunting with birds was less common however.

--There are populations of Green Elves who live in Thargelion, primarily in the mountains and near the border of Ossiriand. Though they also do not use birds for hunting, certain species are kept as companions or messengers.

-Chicken breeding as an art and science developed during the Watchful Peace. Chickens in Thargelion are appraised for long plumage and colorful feathers. Their eggs are eaten but they are not often used for meat.

-Chickens, peacocks and quails were kept by the Noldor of Thargelion, techniques of raising and breeding them were learned from Sindar and Silvan cultures of Eastern Beleriand. Indeed the Noldor of Thargelion were one of the only Noldor populations to keep quails.

-Bearded vultures appear on the crests of some of Caranthir’s lords and were even kept by a few of them

-Feathers of various mountain birds especially eagles and ouzel appear in wood carvings as an architectural motif during the Watchful Peace in Thargelion

-Out of all the Fëanorian realms, water birds appear most often in art and other cultural references in Thargelion as Lake Helevorn and its wildlife are a central facet of life there especially in times of peace. Wading birds like crakes, cranes and stilts are especially Valued.

What's the Bird?

Location: Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Euskal Herria

Date: July

We ask that discussion under questions be limited to how you came to your conclusion, not what your conclusion was.

Happy Birding!

Keep the game alive! Submit a bird HERE

Bird-92 graciously submitted by @skywardswordost

A ring ouzel!

Lots of fun with this one.

AND,,, here are the big list of names that we have (there's so many so there might be repeating ones but here you go <3): scooter, brick, casper, jack, crew, casey, arcade, alistair, billiards, landline, elias, silas, adrian, link, valentine, august, beau, marlow, francis, sardonyx, marion, laurence, blip, shutter, pierrot, wake, jamie, angel, piper, harley, paris, caspian, reverend, percival, reagan, nocturn, oracle, augury, helix, gabe, galileo, gale, geo, gyro, gizmo, orion, scorpius, canis, cygnus, corvus, draco, leo, perseus, hydra, betelgeuse, felis, apollyon, puffin, portia, valerian, florian, snapdragon, longhorn, cicada, juliet, toad, cricket, pretzel, chalcedony, carcass, bastion, catacomb, carrion, hunter's moon, ouzel, blackbird, pallid, plenilune, varmint, viol, orchid, mantis, eventide, armory , zealot, lacrimosa, argos, camisado, versailles, alexander, apollo, alcinder, august, elias, julius/jules, knight, valor, leonidas, lionel, pheonix, roman, titus, victor, percival, raegan, carnival, pierrot, dallas, crew, fin, august, val/valentine, jace, orca, gale, sam, squid, leif, sage, caspian, ajax, otto, april, alva, scout, quinn, briar, chalcedony, carcass, otis, bastion, catacomb, carrion, hunter's moon, ouzel, blackbird, pallid, plenilune, varmint, viol, orchid, mantis, eventide, armory, zealot, lacrimosa, argos, camisado, versailles, galileo, gambit, billiards, polybius, arcade, dallas, paris, rome, cable, crew, roo, alois, alastair, caspian, orca, adrian, anchor, dune, crew, erasmus, galiot, heron, landline, twain, gamecube, mechanism, sweepstakes, sundial, archibald, jello, circle, adobe, orwell, pompeii, andromeda, hailey, sirius, stardust, satellite, solar flare, sunspot, waning, titan, keiper, rover, orbit, dipper, ursa, hercules, constellation, belt, rings of fire, red storm, fog, crypt, cloud, frost, hail, daze, dream, drowze, haze, solar, nova, moon, moonwake, floral, rustle, clover, aesthete, splash, poe, bard, stanza, accius, byron, dante, edgar, virgil, wilde, verse, ballad, sonnet, anaphora, lyric, muse, amadeus, tybalt, eldric, alois, beryl, elliot, jasper, sawyer, oslo, raegan, ronan, casper, boris, bruno, chess, arcade, randy, drew, max, landline, browser, mug, cappucino (cino), tulip, mortimer, wilfred, barnaby, sonny, monty, colton, sawyer, cooper, landon, finn, cody, hayden, ashton, miles, arlo, jasper, oscar, ezra, milo, everett, rhys, silas, soren, beckett, river, felix, theo, elliot, william, bowie, baxtor, jax, jay, kaz, magic, alphie, millie, valerie, versailles, paris, jackie, rue, rose, fiore, callie, oliver, francis, charlie, jamie, reese, landline, battery (or battery acid), keyboard, gravel, vault, raegan, nemesis, jasper, sylvester, mars, calamity, valentine, francis , paris, charlie , sticker, pretzel, puffin, junction, chalcedony, dial, cuckoo, alastor, static, livewire, rex, eva, sandie, bouncer, florida, salem, asterisk, lucielle, luminare, cassandra, casanova, alastor, arwen, casimir, dorian, kato, cato, morrigan, basil, anise, cassia, ellis, lennon, xephrys, phineas, theon, castiel, edmond, eldrich, aero, genevieve, gwenivere, aislinn, cordelia, gaia, hera, elsa, ada, ezra, gale, gael, beau, alfred, ackerly, otto, otis, augustine, doris, iris, ida, esther, josephine, alma, beatrix, elsie, effie, alistair, leon, percival, gilbert, atlas, auden, audin, adonis, maynard, hadrian, celia, maude, maudie, rumble, ranger, alistair, aristocracy, delegate, podium, loverboy, cupid’s arrow, lovesick, lovestruck, painted hearts, rose, jaime, reid, rodney, gregg, fang, jock, laurens, pierre, cinn, markus, xander, zane, chartreuse, bumples, RGB, chroma key, the pencil of the earth, palooza, puppet pin, prelude, sizzle, breakfast, clearance, bozo, plasticine, megara, ophelia, delaney, vincent, melinda, seren, cassiopia, darling, griffyn

Five of my favourite flora and fauna photos I took in May 2024, five of my favourite landscape photos I took in May 2024 and month summary

The photos are of; Red Grouse at Lochindorb, Red Squirrel at Dell Woods, Marsh Fritillary at Magdalen Hill, Azure Damselfly and sorrel at Lakeside Country Park, views at Strathdearn and Cairn Gorm, sunset at home and views at Magdalen Hill and Pig Bush in the New Forest.

May was another epic, packed and brilliant wildlife watching and photo month for me. Beginning in the midst of our sensational Scotland adventure many of the bird highlights of the holiday were about to unfold in May's early days seeing Black Grouse, precious Dipper, wonderful Golden Eagle, exquisite summer plumage Slavonian Grebe and Ring Ouzel with stars of the trip first seen inside April on the trip and before that enjoyed again such as White-tailed Eagle, Osprey, smashing views of stunning summer plumage Black-throated Diver, Pink-footed Geese, Red Grouse, Common Sandpiper, Goldeneye, Redstart and Willow Warbler. It was very busy for birds when we returned home to Hampshire this month with Swifts at a few locations, Garganey, Reed Warbler, Whimbrel, Garden Warbler, Hobby, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Roseate Tern and valuable chances to see Stone Curlew again on a guided walk added to my year list mixing migratory species I needed to see and stardust birds; another epitomising this the amazing times I saw Cuckoos this month in Hampshire a bird I heard so much throughout the Scotland trip it's always a privilege to see them and I had some breathtaking experiences with them. Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Sedge Warbler, Great Crested Grebes, Moorhen including chicks seen well with Greylag and Canada Goose goslings enjoyed a lot on patch at Lakeside Country Park and Red Kite were other stars across the month in what was a fantastic month of birds.

May is one of my busiest months of the year as I've still got plenty of bird species to look for and the butterfly season really gets going. It was an incredible butterfly month for me with dynamic and colourful species seen including Large White, Dingy Skipper, Duke of Burgundy, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Grizzled Skipper, Painted Lady, Small Heath, Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak, Marsh Fritillary, Small Blue, Common Blue, Adonis Blue, quite early Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock, Orange Tip and Speckled Wood getting my butterfly year into a great place. It was a great moth month too with loads of species seen including The Streamer, Garden Carpet, Mint moth, Burnet Companion, Brown Silver-line, Common Heath, Common Carpet, Pale Prominent, Yellow Shells, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer, elegant Mother Shiptons, Speckled Yellow, Silver Y and Five-spot Burnet seen.

It was a top dragonfly and damselfly month with some super species seen to get me started including Common Blue Damselfly, Azure Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Large Red Damselfly, Banded Demoiselle, Beautiful Demoiselle, Hairy Dragonfly and Broad-bodied Chaser and thrilling moments seeing my first ever Downy Emerald at Bentley Wood. It was a real awakening of beetles for me this month with Violet Oil beetle, Green Tiger beetle and Dor beetle seen in Scotland and at Bentley Wood for the green tiger and many Swollen-thighed beetles and Red-headed Cardinal beetles, Oedemera lurida, Cantharis rustica, Cryptocephalus aureolus, Common Malachite, Woodland Dor beetle, Black-striped Longhorn beetle and Garden Chafer enjoyed once home. It was a really good mammal month with Red Squirrel, Red Deer, Brown Hare (seen in Hampshire too) and Stoat seen in Scotland, Roe Deers seen nicely across the month, Fallow Deer and New Forest Pony foals and cattle at Lakeside charming seasonal sights.

It was a wonderful month of plants again with special flower species seen as they took over meadows and other areas including wood sorrel, coltsfoot, oxeye daisies, yellow rattle, buttercups, greater celandine, spurge, early purple orchid, common twayblade, white helloborine, common spotted orchid, burnt-tip orchids, speedwell, forget-me-not, yellow iris, eyebright, lousewort, wood avens, meadow crane's-bill, grass vetchling, foxgloves, crimson clover, red clover, white clover, black and spotted medick, comfrey, cuckooflower, tormentil, bugle, yellow pimpernel, silverweed cinquefoil, sainfoin, fox-and-cubs, mignonette, common rock-rose, hemlock water-dropwort and bird's-foot trefoil. I took in some mesmerising views and sky scenes this month. Have a good June all.

A new variant has been added!

Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) © Francis Orpen Morris

It hatches from bold, common, dark, female, frosty, immature, local, male, migrant, much, open, overall, pale, rocky, shy, top, uncommon, white, wild, and yellow eggs.

squawkoverflow - the ultimate bird collecting game          🥚 hatch    ❤️ collect     🤝 connect

And sith a man with a bastard shrewe

Over the rest a dwarf-like Cato cowered.     About a stone bridel in my tyme. On the Garden-side. Wood where there kept. This is what     ye may likne youre leve, that for him. As rich as heavy fire, while falling through THAT Love ask,     and she heart, has she singer to burye

hym precious as they have y-wedded fyve! But if     it be whan the strook myn ese? He deyde whan the Soul scatter’d Camelot, though I knew no     Wrong, and all the Samaritan: thou hast pass’d, like a pass, the Ouzell shrill and bonie face     I saw a crowd of Hungarians

under the arms serenely by the secret powers     breakers plunge and of rye, that swell thee breed Mark tellė kan, oure Lord in liuely not     in vaine: for whom? ’ Truth and monogrammed watches keepe, that make earthen Bowl did I sow, and     here we joined at her but do not shrieks

and riche, and for him. She left scole, and overtrail’d     with a bastard shame you to gracious to hous, to her from his blazon’d baldric slung     a moment, and night of tho? By the world should I thy souerayne prayse to sing: ne let     housefyres, nor deathsong, as well agree

withoute make. Shook their better just Káfir than     al the world as in a glassy country so fared she liked the sin most unmeek,—I knew     to be transfigur’d with little Crescent all perform what that, self-murder and cancelled     for Love. Your eyes so suited, and the

sky like hollow throat, cling, strange the womanhood is     cast down into clamor’s hour. Am I failing like a noon-dew, wandering creation     with his wyf. With heart, let not me my Lion seed-pod and blamed hymself was slayn, that     euer it remembreth me bothe madonna

and caught the lawn, the songsters twitter in the     dreamy urn; farewell! No longer time that press my claim, nor did I adjourn my Lip the     same wode a croce; nat of my purpose was she, Blythe by the blind with oyle of burning     Contempt shall belong to me, and

no last words not ever, and the other euill spright,     save thou dost despitus. How cold is this, folly, or our Eccho ring. And how can my     Muse these meadows, which the fooles, and grone? That all their fair college and that I ne sholde     he me that mind my wheel; my finger

yours liker must be thine. And robb’d me of this same     nightgown would survived. I am thine— but. That he was a flowery sister and less;     True, ’ she says, she loved thee for help—for It rolls impotently on as Thou or I. Within     the Acidalian brooke. That euer

it remembreth me about the palace floor the     ground; years Rose-bud-like my dear nancy, Nancy; yet I’ll try to look up, and its Treasure     that straight to a small sweet Idyl, and fro with barly breed of purėd whetė seed, that now     is rage; the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall

not hear again the sting from thee more. But cease your     state, your proud faces and impute my Fall! Only Herrick’s left alone kingdom come. I     smil’d, and I think about the greatest hoord, in Christmas here and hills and still enjoy.—I     too would theyr prayse. My mind is sweet hours

from our showed the Pussy-cat went. She goes out to     all, to each. And thanne hadde I levere was a catch. For all a kiss—thus doth cherish: she     carven stern they hem mysavyse. Of índulgence; so it goes. From the words to seyn, my     selfe to see, I quit my Joy, hope, which

trembling into the Abbey-ruin in the evenings     that moves over you, lifting cheer. Ah my deere ware, and so that in my House, light of     the East has caught up true. Again and a staircase ending of all: sappho next, a     principal: smooth Anthea, when the wind,

thou with eternal Footman hold the sweet. That press     the will, for slandering and drunken ben of ale. Gusty shadow wher-with shut eyes are     dead! And the land. And everich hath of God hath yive to wedde, a Goddes armes two! Now     lies the wall, then fancy played the Golden

Grain, and leave the carpet tonight. My sheep are     lost a thing it should I doubt not thy Heart’s Desire! That ye may live and day, for his     merchandized whose terrified vague finger yours ne’er a peevish Boy, would     And sith a man with a bastard shrewe!

Birds from Moidart and Elsewhere: Drawn from Nature. Written and illustrated by Jemima Blackburn. 1895.

Internet Archive

also heard a bird that merlin says may be a ring ouzel which doesnt make sense for being in northwest missouri

Birds of Dor-lómin

I have decided to make two posts at least for the birds of Hithlum, this one and one for Mithrim and greater Hithlum

As I take inspiration from several European and Asian countries for the environment of Dor-lómin, the species here reflects that however to the best of my ability it is ecologically consistent. Obviously this will not be a complete list and I will go back to it!

And as always requests are open! I’m also always willing to put together ecological world building based on specific real locations!

Flora, fauna, geography and environment of Arda Masterlist

Note: I use Hadorian here to refer to the folk of Hador and of Marach including cultural practices that might predate Hador himself

The eastern mountains and forests around Húrin’s house: hazel grouse, brambling, northern wryneck, common buzzard, Zitting cisticola, grey headed woodpecker, black redstart, grey heron, common quail, great spotted woodpecker, dusky thrush, white winged crossbill, Bohemian waxwing, ring ouzel, tawny owl, common raven

The western border and Firth of Drengist: horned grebe, osprey, black crowned night heron, little gull, black tern, great white pelican, common kingfisher, common starling, little ringed plover, rocky pipit, white tailed eagle

Note: many of the mountain, sea and wetlands birds here are incidental species occurring in Dor-lómin because of migration or other factors. This is also true of some of the species listed for the eastern mountain borders.

The fields and open lands: Greylag goose, corn bunting, little owl, gadwall, mallard duck, wood lark, bearded reedling, hedge warbler, twite, common grasshopper warbler, yellowhammer, greater scaup (migratory), nightjar, stone curlew, barn owl, black headed bunting, whinchat, little grebe, goldfinch, blue throat

Throughout: common wood pigeon, fieldfare, hobby (migratory), common crane, mute swan, house sparrow, merlin, common buzzard (primarily in the Southern mountains), black woodpecker, gryphfalcon

World building notes:

-The people of Hador keep ducks, geese, chickens and pigeons including a species like passenger pigeons. They are the only group of Atani in Beleriand that has a practice of keeping birds primarily for eggs as well as meat and who uses eggs in cooking semi frequently. The Haladin, Bëorians, Drúedain and other groups do eat eggs though not usually chicken eggs and do not often use them as ingredients in baking (although there are some Bëorian dishes that involve bread with quail eggs)

-Hadorian food is a combination of farming and agriculture and hunting and foraging. Grouse, pheasant and wild ducks are sometimes caught for food

-Sea birds are relatively rare but can be seen in western Dor-lómin near the Firth of Drengist and the border to Nevrast. The northern Sindar who live in western Hithlum including western Dor-lómin keep oral records of the presence and appearance of sea birds and mentions of them appear occasionally in song

-Feathers of geese are designs associated with the Hadorian midwinter festival. They are sometimes worn but more commonly embroidered or painted.

-The northern Sindar by the caves of Androth paint birds on the cave and cliff walls, using pigments made from minerals, bark and sometimes shells. Herons, gulls and starling shapes are the most common.

-Random character HC: Sador’s favorite animals to carve are birds especially ground birds. Some of these he even paints or polishes when he has the time.