This week I have asked one of our residential volunteers, Michelle, to write the blog....
So I have been asked to write about the weather we are having at Forsinard these days. After the months of beautiful sunshine and cloudy night skies, which cleared away just enough to see the northern lights one late autumn night; the winter sun has afforded us the chance to see clear night skies with shooting stars and space debris galore.
Out on the reserve we have heard, from the vast skies, the calls of wild geese coming in from their summer breeding grounds of Iceland. I love the Greylags as they sound to me so like the warm chattering of domestic geese in farmyards: they remind me of the poem ‘The Wild Geese’ by Violet Jacob, which became the song ‘The Norland Wind’ by Jim Reid.
Oh tell me what was on your road, ye roarin’ norlan’ Wind,
As ye cam’ blawin’ frae the land that’s niver frae my mind?
My feet they traivel England, but I’m deein’ for the north.
My man, I heard the siller tides rin up the Firth o Forth”
Aye, Wind, I ken them weel eneuch, and fine they fa’ and rise,
And fain I’d feel the creepin’ mist on yonder shore that lies,
But tell me, ere ye passed them by, what saw ye on the way?
My man, I rocked the rovin’ gulls that sail abune the Tay.
But saw ye naething, leein’ Wind, afore ye cam’ to Fife?
There’s muckle lyin’ ‘yont the Tay that’s mair to me nor life.
My man, I swept the Angus braes ye ha’ena trod for years.
O Wind, forgi’e a hameless loon that canna see for tears!
And far abune the Angus straths I saw the wild geese flee,
A lang, lang skein o’ beatin’ wings wi’ their heids towards the sea,
And aye their cryin’ voices trailed ahint them on the air –
O Wind, hae maircy, haud yer whisht, for I daurna listen mair!
The onset of snow and the depletion of berries and seeds has meant there have been more visitors to our feeders; Chaffinch in abundance, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Coal Tits, Blue Tits and Blackbirds are all vying for scarce food supplies. Linda, our neighbour, has had Waxwing in her garden. Paul has put a stop motion camera near the feeder so, hopefully, we will have some fine footage soon.
away down south no snow yet cold frosty, no green finch most killed off by a virus, siskin, both types of sparrows, blackbirds starlings, chaffinch, jackdaws 5 blue black and great tit. out in forest today goshawk and 4 jays. 2 weeks ago 2 mislte thrush. not bad!