Our only breed of aquatic songbird The Dipper. I saw this one quite high up on the hill. They feed mainly on stoneflies and other invertebrates and also freshwater shrimp. They have been known to dive down up to 50cm, closing off their nostrils with a flap of skin. High amounts of haemoglobin in their blood stores oxygen while diving. The dense wet-suit like plumage has over one and half times more feathers than a blackbird - which is also great in trapping thousands of air bubbles giving them a mirrored silver appearance while under water. I love watching them pop up after hunting, give a wee shake and dip to shake off the beads of water. Next time you see a wee bird with a white breast flying close to water just stop and watch. They make you smile. #dipper #isleofskye #scotland
Unbelievable day out to the maidens today. No use for trout fishing, which was cancelled due to appalling weather conditions for such a sport. A bucket full of mackerel and pollack will keep us fed for a while too. As always the highlight was being included in dolphin playtime. #commondolphin #isleofskye #macleodsmaidens #scotland
Quite a bit of white tailed eagle activity over the old homestead in the last week. A pair of adults just a couple of days ago. #whitetailedeagle #home #wildlifeathome #isleofskye #scotland
A cracking weather day last Saturday so we took off for Canna in my boat. On the way back we were visited by a local family. #commondolphin #isleofcanna
This female adder (dark copper colour with dark brown diamond markings) was sunning herself yesterday morning. Not how she has flattened herself to catch as much sun as possible.
Much misunderstood, there hasn’t been a fatality from an adder bite in the UK since 1975.
A most beautiful and exotic reptile of these shores.
She was seen yesterday on one of my foraging walks.
Primrose leaves and flowers back on the menu. #foraging #home #isleofskye #scotland
It’s getting a bit springy. Primrose leaves and flowers on a menu near you very soon. #foraging #home #isleofskye
Always busy at the breakfast table on cold frosty mornings. I do love my feathers visitors. #home #wildbirds #wildlifeathome #carbost #isleofskye #scotland
Apex is back! I’m going to try to get some better photos over the coming days. My absolute favourite of all our native mammals. I’m gonna become a Buddhist just so I can be reincarnated as an #otter #home #carbost #isleofskye #scotland
A visit to a wee muddy puddle. For those new to this page I visit this puddle and film every year. Nothing special right? Wrong! Those little swirls of silt among the deer hoof prints are the future amphibian elite. Not every tadpole that survives morphs into a frog in the spring. Some will stay in tadpole form for a year. Naturalists are still baffled as to why this is. Some say not enough light and food hold back their growth. Others say those who survive predation and freezing temperatures will have stronger DNA and feed earlier thus having the edge on the following years spawn. The tadpoles which then emerge into frogs after 12 months a tadpole are stronger in other words … Super Frogs. 🐸 So next time you walk past a muddy puddle, take a closer look, you may be surprised at what lies beneath.
