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Heatherbank Guest House What do you get? |
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WILDLIFE & GEOLOGY
Common Sightings at Heatherbank : Red Deer; buzzard; goldfinch; siskin; other finches; meadow pipits; heron; wheatear; long-tailed tit: stonechat; house martin; swallow, cuckoos have been recently seen; On the plant side we have milkwort; lesser butterfly orchid; northern marsh orchid; heath spotted orchid; yellow and red rattle; yellow flag iris; butterwort. Chimneysweep moths; Scotch Argus. All swallows gone by 20/9/09. 8.8.09 : We found a bird on its back outside the backdoor. It was a young Cuckoo that appeared to be stunned. When it was turned over it limped away to the cover of a bush. Ten minutes later, when disturbed, it scrambled onto the lawn and managed to take off and land on a post on the other side of the pond where it stayed for thirty minutes. Late Sept : Red deer rut begins - 8 point stag with a harem increased to 15 by 5th Oct. - bellowing for most of the night 10m. outside the house. Some competition from a younger stag who was soon chased off, but in the meantime the hinds wandered about and the all had to be rounded up again. All quiet from 16th Oct. - rut over! Occaisional Sightings at Heatherbank : Barn owl; black grouse; wildcat; sparrowhawk; whinchat, common lizard. Nearby sightings: Golden plover; ringed ouzel; pine martin; otter; common seal; grey seal; golden eagle; sea eagle; ptarmigan droppings: roe deer. Chequered Skipper butterflies, also Dingy Skipper; Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary; Dark Green Fritillary. Golden eagle seen perched on a rock and ptarmigan droppings seen 1.5 miles away. |
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