Red kites at Doune















Photograph © Lynn Bowser

Just got back from a weekend in Scotland, the reason was for Jills 30th birthday celebration but I did fancy an early morning walk near the Drovers inn where we stayed for the Sat night. Unfortunately we all overdid it on the sauce and only just made breakfast never mind the walk.

The pub itself was very eccentric, but a bit hard for me to enjoy when surrounded by stuffed birds and animals, some now very rare! Corncrake & Golden eagle to name but 2.
People must have been very stupid back in the day.

Heres a link to my photo album of the Drovers inn lobby

However on the way back to Hamilton we stopped at Argaty farm, nr Doune, to see the red kites at the feeding station.
We also found some red sheep!!! on the way to the hide. Some farmer having a bit of a laugh eh?















This is not photoshopped!

Buzzards and Kestrels everywhere but the red kites were beautifully side lit in the winter sun. One kite had a bit of an ariel battle with the kestrel, showing its much larger size. Phil and I got great views but I didnt get any photos as I didnt have my scope, just the 12x50 bins.

Theres a great leaflet available in the hide of the Trossachs bird of prey trail. Postcards & prints by Lynn Bowser (see kite photo above) and RSPB charity pins are for sale in the hide via an honesty box.

















Just after midnight on our return to Lancashire we saw a fox cross the A59 just near where I last saw a fox earlier this year (in January! long time since eh?). Lots of dead roadkill foxs at this time of year as its mating time for them. Its this time of year that we can hear the vixen "screaming", sometimes sounds like a human getting murdered outside in the garden in the midnight, its a scary noise!