As we arrived at Loch Fleet this morning a mass of pink-footed geese were rising noisily over the mudflats, heading north towards Golspie. We're told that they've been feeding in the fields around Brora and our informant, who has lived in the area almost all his life, agreed with us that there are exceptional numbers this year, perhaps in the region of 2,000, commuting north each morning and south towards roosts near Tain in the early evenings. Certainly this morning those that flew away left....
....as many again on the inner basin of the loch. The tide had been high at five this morning yet the sea still hadn't flooded the mudflats, even though it was flowing very strongly through the entrance.
The wind has been in the east for the last couple of days and a choppy sea has begun to eat away at the beach again. Perhaps because of the sea state there was hardly a bird along the shore and when....
....we walked back across the links they were as lacking in wildlife. It wasn't until we were back in Ferry Woods that we found something of interest, in the form of....
....another wasps' nest that had been dug out, probably by a badger. The main nest, with a large amount of comb, can be seen at lower centre, with more bits of the comb scattered to right and left.
This is the second time this autumn we've found a nest attacked by badgers - see earlier post here. It would be good next to see them.
The attack must have happened overnight as....
....the wasps were doing what they could to repair the damage, rather hopelessly as they were very lethargic in the chill morning air.
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