The Dead Time

I set off this morning for a walk up the track which leads to Loch Lunndaidh not realising that the puddles on the track, recently heavily eroded by heavy rain, would be frozen - and therefore that I would have to watch my step as I walked - and that there would be a dusting of snow on the tops of the beinns.

Walking through the forestry on the lower slopes is pretty miserable as, to me, a walk is all about the wildlife I see and, at this time of year, the countryside away from human habitation seems almost empty of life. Through the coniferous plantations the only sound was the calling of a few small birds, mostly tits, though one pair might, just might have been crossbills.

At most times of year there are a few fungi 'in flower' but on today's two-hour walk these were the only ones I found, growing in a ditch on a mush of dead gorse branches and bracken. I'm not at all sure what they are but they may possibly be tawny funnels.

As I approached home my spirits lifted for a moment as a buzzard was calling but, when it appeared, it was being chased by a crow and was soon out of sight. It's very noticeable that both buzzards and red kites are in short supply at the moment.

Although the snowdrops are out I don't count them as 'wildlife' as most are only to be found around human habitation, suggesting they were planted. So I have to wait patiently through this 'dead time' as it's a good month before the first true wildflower, lesser celandine, is out.