Friday 6 May 2011

Wild about Scotland

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This week I realised I hadn't remembered to update our subscription to the Scottish Wildlife Trust. We've moved twice since we first joined and somehow I'd forgotten to change our address details. So, I went over to their website and while I was updating I got permission to put their logo up on my blog as well. :-)



This way I'll remember to go look at their wildlife diaries and webcams more often. They have an osprey webcam and another on a peregrine nest this season. There's loads to view and read on their pages and blogs. They are also extensively involved in nurturing and protecting Scottish wildlife, from land to sea.

One of my personal favourites is on their list... the gorgeous red squirrel.


I've only managed to take one photo of a red squirrel since I've been in Scotland. It was perfectly posed on a tree stump by the roadside... until I wound down the car window. :-\ It took off as I clicked the camera and to this day I still can't find where in the picture that blasted squirrel went! With all the woodland debris he just vanished. My late mom-in-law even spent an entire evening with a magnifying glass trying to figure out which brown blob or blur was the squirrel. It's become an old family joke now - my photo of the magic invisible squirrel.

I can see I'll be back visiting their website more often from now on. :-).
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4 comments:

  1. I've heard about the red squirrel/grey squirrel issues. I'd love to see one for myself, so keep your eyes open. We're waiting for photos ;)

    I love the way you show Scotland's diversity in your blogs. Not many associate beaches and wildlife with Scotland.

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  2. hi Tint

    Thanks. :-) I do try to point out that Scotland is more than haggis and tartan. It's a fantastic country and the wildlife is excellent. Maybe not as big and "in your face" as African lions and elephants, but just as breath-taking, IMO.

    There's a tea room in the mountains where the squirrels come down and play between the tables on the verandah, but both times I was there I was without a camera! :( Typical of life and wildlife, hey? It's like they just KNOW when you're camera-less.

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  3. I confess, I'm not fond of red squirrels. But the ones here are far from endangered, and chew their way through exterior walls and into attics in seconds. sigh. Hard to keep a house standing with that kind of activity. Between the red squirrels and the hard winters, a house that isn't carefully kept up rots away in a decade. Much prefer the Fox squirrels, or the black ones. They don't seem so invasive. Do you have problems of that sort with red squirrels there? Funny how they are invasive here, and endangered there. Wonder if it's the same squirrel, or different?

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  4. Haydem
    Completely different squirrel species.

    USA red squirrel - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Red_squirrel_with_nut.jpg

    British red squirrel -
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Squirrel_by_mareckr.jpg

    hope the links work!

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Hi,

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