Loch Farlary

With the exceptional weather continuing we drove out to Loch Farlary, parking the car so we could sit overlooking the water, sitting quietly and waiting for the wildlife to come to us. We didn't have long to wait before....

....a lapwing flew over calling with its characteristic pee-wit, pee-wit, followed soon after by a second. We don't see lapwings during the winter so assume they migrate south and return here to breed. In the air above them were skylarks, which seemed as thrilled as we were with the weather.

Scanning the loch with binoculars we found three pairs of geese, two which were clearly greylags and one which may have been pink-footed. One of the pairs was approached by a mallard pair, which were very quickly seen off.

While watching the geese we spotted a herd of red deer beyond the far end of the loch, counting fourteen, a mixture of stags and hinds. It's been some time since we last saw red deer: more and more of the areas where they used to roam free are being fenced - as at Loch Lunndaidh - and planted with trees, mainly conifers.

I do so enjoy just staying in one place and seeing what wildlife comes to me. We could so easily have driven past this spot and seen none of this.