Palmate newt - Triturus helveticus
Don't expect a cheery post from me this time around - I've caught my first British cold and it's a doozie. Luckily I made it through the week in the field but from there went straight to bed on Friday arvo and have become thoroughly bored with the view from my window since then... if I wasn't bored already - it consists of a lawn and a grey wall, but at least with a eucalypt poking over the top!
Last week's field work was based in Lairg, in Sunderland, a huge area of northern Scotland once owned by the Duke of Sutherland who was evidently chief villain of the highland clearances in the 19th century. The landscape was not as dramatic as I saw in Ross; more rolling hills, rivers and lochs than icy jagged peaks. Two of the woods we visited had previously been planted with typically dense conifer plantations amongst the remnant pines, but these had subsequently been removed. In one case they had been left lying on the ground though, which made the going a bit less than pleasant. Wildlife-wise, we saw sika deer, a few red grouse, a kite, wigeon, redshanks and cormorants. I also saw my first British herpetefauna - toads and newts acting like it was springtime in a puddle. I think that's a sizeable proportion of this country's amphibians that I've seen now!
If I'm up to it, I'll be in the field again next Wednesday, but otherwise at my desk. I've posted a picture of Dave and Joan, partners in cone-gathering, on the pier at Golspie, and one of Jim and Kaska in their kitchen before their party last weekend. Jim and Kaska have an apartment in Tayport with an amazing view across the Firth of Tay. Sometimes they can see dolphins from their window!
The other great news this week is that Jane has booked her ticket and will be joining me here in May.
No comments:
Post a Comment