Can you get sick of scenery?

The Safari has been to the more tamer areas of the wilds of the west coast of Scotland for a week. We stopped at a little cottage with a room with a view

Path to the room with a view

The view

On the drive up we didn't see our first Hooded Crow (180) until well past Loch Lomond.
Once ensconced the job the next morning was to find Frank somewhere to swim and what a beautiful little bay we found for him to have a daily dip.

Behind the cottage was a private loch which one morning hosted no fewer than 13 Herons! An Otter was mentioned in the guest book several times but we didn't see it.

The woods to the side of the loch  looked a likely place to set up the stealth-cam.

 The local Mallards were friendly 

Warm sunshine also brought out plenty of dragonflies which were almost unapproachable; we had Common Darter, Black Darter and Emperor which were surprised to see this far north but looking back at Base Camp discovered it had already been recorded here.We got a brief view of a large dark dragon too which was probably Gold Ringed Dragonfly but we only saw it the once.

While Wifey mooched and Frank dozed we set up station with the scope at the room with a view and stared at the sea and mountains and kept an ear open for any vis mig going on. Redwings were notable in their many hundreds throughout the week but the only excitement was a brief small flock of Crossbills (181) that landed in a tree above our head but were mostly obscured by lower branches. If only they'd landed in some of the more open trees like these two old Scots Pines.

The sea was mostly quite, a few Eiders and the odd Harbour Seal being pick of the bunch until we at last found a Black Guillemot although by now they are more 'white' in their winter plumage. Small numbers of Gannets drifted by as did a flock of swans, probably Whooper Swans although there were several Mute Swans lurking in the harbour waiting for bread handouts. The skein of Grey Lag Geese were more likely to be 'proper' wild ones rather than the ferals we're used to seeing.

Under the big pines were some big fungi, no idea what species but they were imressive.

 and even had smaller fungi growing on them.

Frank went out one evening and found a Hedgehog in the garden and we heard a Roe Deer barking in the distance up the hill somewhere. Wifey thought she heard Red Deer bellowing one night but it could have been Frank snoring after his marine exertions.

That's all for now.

Where to next? More takes from north of the border including new of trips out and about.

In the meantime let us know what's been doing all the bellowing in your outback.