Posts Tagged ‘birds’
Brash McKelvie – Dealing with a weighty matter
Scottish Field’s online columnist Brash McKelvie was in for a shock when they went to the chemist. Here are the cast of characters that share the vicissitudes of life: Scragend – a Rhode Island Red of indeterminate age and foul nature. Shitting Cat – does exactly what it says on the tin. The Beloved –…
Read MoreSkeletal system at the heart of artist Silvy’s work
Dumfries artist Silvy Weatherall gives road kill and feathers a new lease of life. The old adage of waste not, want not has become a lifestyle choice for Silvy Weatherall. Living on a farm with four children and her game dealer husband ensures that she has plenty of nature’s off-cuts to utilise when creating works…
Read MoreThe perfect device to help you go nature spotting
Swarovski Optik has announced the launch of their exciting new product, the dG (digital guide). This is the first long-range optical device that allows nature enthusiasts to easily observe, identify and share sightings of birds and other animals. Available to purchase from April, the Swarovski Optik dG promises to make the challenge of identifying and…
Read MoreSpending a season with the wild geese
It is impossible not to be charmed by the poignant and lyrical way in which Wintering effortlessly sketches vivid portraits of these often underappreciated birds. The reader is invited to share in the solace which Stephen Rutt finds in nature through the book’s elegant and very readable prose, which although soothing, never loses its poetic…
Read MoreBrash McKelvie – New Year, New You… Really?
Scottish Field’s online columnist Brash McKelvie thinks New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time. Here are the cast of characters that share the vicissitudes of life: Scragend – a Rhode Island Red of indeterminate age and foul nature. Shitting Cat – does exactly what it says on the tin. The Beloved – a paragon…
Read MoreKeep an eye out for these rare winter birds
Across the country large numbers of winter thrushes, fieldfares and redwings are turning up on lawns as the temperature plummets. These birds are often mistaken for the song thrush, which can be found in gardens all year round, as they look very similar. Sadly the more familiar song thrush, together with winter visitors fieldfares and…
Read MorePupils launch 2020 wildlife charity calendar
A Perthshire school is celebrating the exceptional range of wildlife to be found on its grounds in the pages of a 2020 calendar, being sold in aid of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The calendar features a dozen stunning wildlife images taken by photographer Rosanna Forbes. All of the profits from sales of the calendar will…
Read MoreThe Scots who hunted for seabirds to eat
At one stage the sea-bird was commonplace on the Scottish dinner plate; from the puffin to the cormorant. Every year, ten men from Ness on the northern tip of Lewis sail the perilous voyage to Sula Sgeir, and for a fortnight they live and hunt baby gannets on this remote rock. Murray tells their story,…
Read MoreYoung gannets need help as they fledge
Residents and visitors along the Firth of Forth coastline are being asked to help young northern gannets as they fledge from the world’s largest gannet colony on the Bass Rock. The call comes as the Scottish Seabird Centre and SSPCA have received a number of reports about gugas washed ashore following recent stormy weather. Every…
Read MoreThere’s more to the cuckoo than its famous call
Towards the end of April every year, I, like millions of other country people, have my ears cocked listening out for spring’s first cuckoo. It is one of nature’s finest sounds and never fails to send a frisson of excitement through me. But in recent years it has become more difficult to witness that celebrated…
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