Taexalia

wild.life

Highland Spring

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

The days between Imbolc and Ostara are, for me, the time I feel the Quickening. Tempestuous and unpredictable weather matched by the rampant behaviour of animals and birds, and the persistent appearance of plants like the snowdrops and crocuses.

Always, the long dark days of Winter ebb seemingly too slowly into the shorter days of Spring and we find ourselves always seeking definitive signs that Spring has arrived. This is something that has been with us for thousands of years and something that seems just as important now, in these times of climate change, as it was in the days when the coming of Spring was never taken for granted. Whatever you choose to believe is the reason for climate change, the climate - and the signs of the seasons - is changing.

I was thrilled to note the number of bees out and about in Wester Ross, buzzing about and busy with the business of feeding and pollinating. Our bees are precious and their survival is pretty much linked to our survival. Let's hope it is as a good year for bees as the numbers I saw suggest.

Sticking with the insects, my eye was caught by a hairy crawly friend investigating a rocky crevice on the slopes of Stac Pollaidh. The books I have to hand haven't given me a conclusive identification over which moth or butterfly this caterpillar is destined to become, but it was lovely to spot him out and about.

Caterpillar

Speaking of butterflies, we caught sight of a pair of them dancing in the sunlight as we munched on lunch one day. The first butterflies of the year.

One of the most potent signs of Spring is the presence of frogspawn in still waters. Frogs aren't choosy and will perpetuate their load in lochs, ditches and puddles. Toads are even less choosy and happily mix their potential amongst that of the frog.

Frogspawn

The Quickening brings with it Mating and the wild creatures often indulge in elaborate rituals. This may be why the male Dunnock is more noticeable in early Spring as he perches high and sings out for a mate. This one added to the special atmosphere of Poolewe Cemetary and happily posed for a few shots.

Dunnock Male

The River Ewe, a well known salmon river, was in full spate as it tumbled under the bridge and burst out into Loch Ewe. One morning we were presented with quite a sight as we walked across it and caught sight of two Herring Gulls in the middle of the peaty froth. I don't have a photo because it was too fleeting a moment to interrupt by fumbling for a camera, but I have to record that these two birds demonstrated what can only be described as sheer skill as they navigated the rapids whilst ensuring a new generation of great fisher birds...

River Ewe, Poolewe, Wester Ross