| Sunday 4th April 1971 I had an extremly cold night with little sleep. John who I share the tent with shouted out in his sleep something about 'the Atholl Estates'. The gulls were noisy on the loch, screaming on till past midnight. In the morning I woke up to the sound of bubbling grouse. John and I were on the morning watch starting at 8.00. When we arrived a Great Grey Shrike was perching on the eyrie tree. From the remains of last years nest it looked around on a twig at a point highest on the tree. It stayed there for about an hour when it went off hunting. A large dark bird with a lyre shaped tail flew up to the top of a nearby pine. 'A Capercaille!' I exclaimed although it was, of course a black grouse. Its red eye brows, blue head and neck and brown wings showed up well under the 40x binoculars. A line of swans flew to the South. A curlew called intermitantly. A kestrel flew across and perched on the top of a pine for a while. Long tailed tits and crossbills were in the area. |