Thank you Rebecca, a lovely wander through Wales and connection with the British bird life. Remembering my days from being a young ornithologist in UK 🌹
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this today - you describe settings and nature so creatively and accurately all at once. When you next venture south from your Scottish hideaway please come our way - you'd love Ty Canol woods to the north of the county - another ancient Oak woodland to explore - certainly damp and drippy too!! :)
This was such a lovely wander. I smiled at "granny pines", but I completely understand what you mean about broadleaf woods. They have a softness and abundance that feels almost storybook. And that yellow-barred longhorn moth... what a tiny little marvel. X
Lovely pictures and writing! I learned several things, including what age is required for trees to be considered agent. This phrase about the redstart made me smile "a moustache of spider legs sticking out of her bill” Thank you for providing this glimpse of the enchanting Welsh oak woodlands :)
Ah those woodlands are so soothing for the soul. Beautiful pictures! I'm so impressed with your photography as well, makes me want to get better gear and improve my skills!
I've noticed I'm most drawn to images that let me see things up close, so both macro and tele lenses, but my current camera is v old, lacking in low light, resolution and focus points, so it makes any kind of wildlife photography tricky!
Thank you Hazel! No I haven't, I've heard amazing things about Ardnamurchan so I'd love to visit some time. Mull's high up on my list too! I need to organise another adventure 😃
My father was born in Scotland in Clydebank in 1914. When I went to visit him in Glasgow in 1986, where he had returned to visit his cousins after a hiatus of nearly 40 years (the last time he had seen them was at the end of WWII on his way back from the Front), we stayed in a tiny apartment in central Glasgow. We visited the City Chambers, a beautiful building inside but coal smoke- darkened on the outside. We took the train to Oban on a day when the wind and rain were so strong that the rain was horizontal. After hours of traveling through downpour conditions, we reached the port of Oban where we hoped to take the ferry to the islands. The train conductor stopped us on the platform, asked where we were going, and told us to get back on the train and return to Glasgow, that no ferries were running that day. I am grateful that I met my aunts and saw them interact with my father. I also met my only cousin and her young children. I hope to return to Scotland some year to venture into the countryside and visit some of the beautiful places that you describe. Thank you for providing me with your beautiful photographs and descriptions of what you see and experience.
Thank you for reading my post and for sharing such a lovely story Joanna, even with the torrential rain! I really hope you can return to Scotland some day 🥰
I imagine these photos too an extraordinary amount of patience. They’re phenomenal
Thank you so much Glynis! I certainly spent a lot of time looking at branches 😆
Thank you Rebecca, a lovely wander through Wales and connection with the British bird life. Remembering my days from being a young ornithologist in UK 🌹
Thank you Judith! I'm pleased to hear it brought back memories for you ☺️
How wonderful that you managed to get such great shots of birds you set out to see and could appreciate them in their habitat.
It's always good when a plan comes together!
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this today - you describe settings and nature so creatively and accurately all at once. When you next venture south from your Scottish hideaway please come our way - you'd love Ty Canol woods to the north of the county - another ancient Oak woodland to explore - certainly damp and drippy too!! :)
Thank you Sue! Ooh that sounds lovely, there's still so much of Wales I'd like to explore ☺️
This was such a lovely wander. I smiled at "granny pines", but I completely understand what you mean about broadleaf woods. They have a softness and abundance that feels almost storybook. And that yellow-barred longhorn moth... what a tiny little marvel. X
Thank you Claire! Yes exactly, broadleaved trees definitely have a magical quality 🥰
Amazing birds, Rebecca! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading Csermely!
Lovely pictures and writing! I learned several things, including what age is required for trees to be considered agent. This phrase about the redstart made me smile "a moustache of spider legs sticking out of her bill” Thank you for providing this glimpse of the enchanting Welsh oak woodlands :)
Thank you Luci! That's kind, I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it ☺️
This makes me want to visit Wales immediately! Great shots 😊
Thank you so much Gladys! If you ever get the chance I'd highly recommend it ☺️
Ah those woodlands are so soothing for the soul. Beautiful pictures! I'm so impressed with your photography as well, makes me want to get better gear and improve my skills!
Thank you so much Alexander! Soothing is the perfect word for them. Ooh that'd be great! What kind of photography do you like? ☺️
I've noticed I'm most drawn to images that let me see things up close, so both macro and tele lenses, but my current camera is v old, lacking in low light, resolution and focus points, so it makes any kind of wildlife photography tricky!
Wow what fab finds Rebecca! Gorgeous photos, I really enjoyed reading about your trip.
Have you visited the oak woods on the Ardnamurchan? I think you’d love them!
We get a few pied flycatchers on Mull where there are Oaks but I’ve not seen them yet.
Thank you Hazel! No I haven't, I've heard amazing things about Ardnamurchan so I'd love to visit some time. Mull's high up on my list too! I need to organise another adventure 😃
Definitely!
My father was born in Scotland in Clydebank in 1914. When I went to visit him in Glasgow in 1986, where he had returned to visit his cousins after a hiatus of nearly 40 years (the last time he had seen them was at the end of WWII on his way back from the Front), we stayed in a tiny apartment in central Glasgow. We visited the City Chambers, a beautiful building inside but coal smoke- darkened on the outside. We took the train to Oban on a day when the wind and rain were so strong that the rain was horizontal. After hours of traveling through downpour conditions, we reached the port of Oban where we hoped to take the ferry to the islands. The train conductor stopped us on the platform, asked where we were going, and told us to get back on the train and return to Glasgow, that no ferries were running that day. I am grateful that I met my aunts and saw them interact with my father. I also met my only cousin and her young children. I hope to return to Scotland some year to venture into the countryside and visit some of the beautiful places that you describe. Thank you for providing me with your beautiful photographs and descriptions of what you see and experience.
Thank you for reading my post and for sharing such a lovely story Joanna, even with the torrential rain! I really hope you can return to Scotland some day 🥰
I am hoping that I will be able to come to Scotland in 2027.
Thanks for the article. I enjoyed it!