Red Squirrels at Loch Garten

Have seen red squirrels before on several occasions but they were either too far away or too quick for a photograph. However, on holiday in Speyside last week, at RSPB Loch Garten which we were visiting to see the ospreys, it was a bonus to see red squirrels on the peanut feeder.

Lucky enough to snap two red squirrels!

At Ballindalloch Castle a red squirrel is a blur as it dashes across the path.

Big Garden Birdwatch 26th to 27th January

For some years the RSPB have been running a garden birdwatch on the last weekend in January. The public are invited to take part by watching and recording the birds they see in one hour in their garden or a park and sending in their results by post or online.

My results for this year were
Blackbird: 3
Blue tit: 2
Dunnock: 3
Robin: 1
Woodpigeon: 2
Crow: 1

The house sparrows, chaffinches, and starlings that I normally see on a daily basis had mysteriously disappeared. For comparison, results from the last two years

Big Garden Birdwatch 2007.
Blackbird : 1
Blue tit : 2
Chaffinch : 2
Dunnock : 3
House sparrow : 4
Robin : 1

Big Garden Birdwatch 2006.
Blackbird : 2
Blue tit : 2
Coal tit : 1
Great tit : 1
Chaffinch : 2
Dunnock : 3
House sparrow : 3
Robin : 1
Woodpigeon : 1