The Safari was out on the estate early doors this morning and it was still triple windy! Yesterday the Safari wasn't sure if we saw a Red Squirrel dart up and round the back of a huge Large Leaved Lime tree. A chat with one of the estate's staff told us there were some about but there are also a few Grey Squirrels too which they are trying to keep from getting a toehold on the estate which is in an area where there is still a healthy population of Reds.
Also on the estate are Badgers, (be nice to see one of those as its ages since we saw a live one and there are plenty of roadkills up this way) and Roe Deer, one of which we saw eating the profits this morning.
Our walk took us down to the river again and we found a species we expected to find sooner or later, Goosander (177). There were five of them all of which except one flew up fiver and out of range. The other floated past at speed downstream.
Hidden away in the riverside vegetation wasa singing Sedge Warbler that occassionaly set off on song flights out over the river but wouldn't settle back on a picable perch.
Back at the digs the groundsman was collecting last night's windfall with his brilliant little red Fergy - we learned to drive on one of these and have a real soft spot for them - rubbish compared to a modern tractor but they just have so much more character about them or iss that the notalgia talking? In the old days our fields were full of Lapwings and Skylarks and on these tractors we could lift the gear oveer the nests as we could see them in frint of us...so many more nests and young survived...then we sprayed them with DDT...not so nice!!!
After a bit of brekkie it was off to the cliffs at St Abb's and having never been before we were impressed, fantastic scenery.
The white patch isn't pale rock it's been 'painted' by Guillemots.
Another year bird in the form of a Fulmar (178) drifted round the far end of the cliffs.
Down at base of the cliffs a few Razorbills and Shags hung around the rocks.
The weather tuned for the worst giving dramatic cliffscapes over the harbour of St Abb's and we headed quickly back to the car via the tea-rooms!
Taknig a chance with the squalls we set off north deeper into Scotland to check out a beach area we'd been recommended not far past the nuclear power station! However, despite following the map to Scotland's Geology Trail we couldn't get there as the road was blocked with about 1000 tons of gravel and a sign saying No Access as a quarry had set up operations there - and this was the only road in and out, there is/was no other access by car - b*gger!!!Then the clouds burst so it was back to temporary Base Camp.
Where to next? Will the weather improve, will we head south back in to England? In the meantime let us know how heavy the rain is in your outback.
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