Scotland 2025

 A trip to the Trossachs Osprey Hide proved fruitful with three fly overs and one dive (apparently, we were lucky with the dive as I got talking to someone else in the hide who had been there three times and had not seen one Osprey let alone a dive). I only wish I had used a shorter focal length lens instead of the 500mm as I chopped off the Ospreys wings in some shots. A bite of bait in a picnic area after the hide visit produced some canny insects. Later that evening I went looking for Beavers with a couple of friends and it turned out to be a canny night.

Female Blackcap.

This male Kingfisher kept us entertained while we waited for an Osprey.

The highlight of the morning a diving Osprey catching a fish.

Plant Bug.

Rhagio tringarius Fly?

Leaf Hopper.

Small Signal Fly.

Scathophaga Sp. Fly?

Beaver.

Clara Vale & Far Pastures

 A few images from last month at Clara Vale & Far Pastures (I’m still way behind).

Moorhen with one of its chicks.

Roe Buck.

My first Swallows of the year on Barlow Fell.

Blackcap.

Red Kite.

One of two Little Grebe.

The second Little Grebe.

Gadwall.

Local

 I had a local morning and afternoon walk recently and here are a few of the things I saw.

Goldfinch.

Blackcap eating Greenfly.

And calling from the top of a tree.

This Kestrel sat in the same spot for ages and I thought it would be rude not to take a few shots but as I only had my 300mm lens I tried to get as close as I could using gorse bushes for cover, it seems to have worked.

It did eventually fly off to another twig, where it had a bit of a scratch, so this is a slightly larger crop.

And away

To hover over the field.

Linnet.

I thought at first there was only one 7-spot Ladybird

However, I was wrong.

Dark-edged Bee-fly.

Tawny Mining Bee.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly.