magical mystery tour

 

2nd October

Being the fag end of the butterfly season I was considering other projects. Red squirrels! I had seen a couple of photos of them recently and wondered where the nearest ones might be found and photographed. I know they can be found up at Morton Lochs but it's a long way to go and they might not be there on asking. Last trip I found the bird hide there unwelcoming and unproductive. I remembered seeing Fiona posting photos of reds down her way and got in touch. She was remarkably enthusiastic about having her day off (Monday) hijacked; to drive me about the borders looking for cute little squirrels. Although we have only met a couple of times in passing (inevitably out on the same trails looking for the same butterflies) we have spent a lot of time online discussing dragonfly ponds and lepidotera and admiring each other's wildlife photos, and it feels like we have always been in touch and are old pals. She also has connections with my sister through the world of horses and show-jumping. (An arena I steer well clear of!)

Fiona suggested I should get the bus to Earlston, (less than a mile from her home) where she would be waiting in her car. We'd drive to Wooler Common where there was a path through the woods. Next to the path were feeding boxes full of nuts for the red squirrels. Normally, planning a trip of this nature I'd familiarise myself with the place and how to get there. However I left that part to Fiona and thought it was just going to be a short distance down the road. Which in a way it was, but it was also about 35miles drive, and over the border into England; a little bit further than I realised! The time passed very quickly as we had plenty to chat about. 

5 minutes after stepping out the car we saw a squirrel. The feeding boxes are near the path, conveniently set up to allow people to see and photograph the squirrels. It brings the squirrels from up in the woods to the edge of the woods and they are sufficiently used to human proximity (mostly dog-walkers) for them to sit eating while we were relatively close. Far better and easier than trying to spot and chase squirrels through the woods. 

The only disappointment of the day was the weather. The forecast had been very promising, but the reality was less bright, mostly overcast. I was so charmed and impressed by the squirrels I forgot to accommodate the rather flat light. I should have used shutter priority, upped the shutter speed and cranked the ISO. Instead I left it on auto and the results are very soft with movement blur and more than a bit meh! About the only thing I was happy with are the short bursts of video I shot. Panasonic seem to have nailed video in their cameras and it is sharper than just about any of the still shots I took. I'll post the video results below.

Apparently the squirrels only grow long tufts of hair on their ears later in the season. So we'll obviously have to return at a later date! Not sure exactly when this happens. We saw a few running about the trees but only a couple spent time posing at the feeders. It was a pleasant place to wander about, a relatively short path, mostly used by local dogwalkers, maybe a half a mile circuit from the car park through the trees, past a pond that looked good for dragonflies although mostly without easy access to the edge.

at the dragonfly pond

Fiona is a very keen photographer and uses Sony cameras. She graduated from the RX10, a bridge camera similar to my own, to a more high end Sony with long lens and it was noticeable her results, her squirrel shots, were sharper than mine!

There were a handful of end of season butterflies about. A couple of red admirals and a speckled or 2, mostly flitting about the trees and landing on over-ripe rowan berries. There were also quite a few garden birds attending feeders that hung next to the paths and were regularly topped up.

coal tit

great tit

coal tit

As I was trying to photograph the birds on the feeder I saw something on the ground out the corner of my eye. It was a tiny vole. Initially I called it a mouse, although I think the blunt head and less pointy nose indicates a vole. It was very nervous and fast moving. It had set up home in a hole conveniently close to where the overspill from the bird feeder above was falling. However it had to make a dash across a bald area of dirt to get the fallen seeds before zipping at lightning pace back to the cover of the grass. It would happily hunker under a blade or two of grass, feeling there was sufficient cover. If a dogwalker passed by it might disappear down its burrow, but then reappear a minute later. Then make another sprint across the earth to the seeds. The lack of light and the speed it was moving did not make it easy to get photos. Again, video was slightly more successful.

vole hole

video of squirrel and vole

After a local cafe stop for a warming cup of tea/coffee and snack we returned via Bemersyde Moss, (nearest town Melrose) a bird hide where a local hangs out feeders and wintering wildfowl (and sometimes otters) turn up. There wasn't much other than a few blue tits but I could see the potential for winter birding trips later in the season.

There was just time for a quick visit to Fiona's place before the last bus North. I knew from her online posts a hare had dropped off a couple of baby leverets in her garden. She had relocated them (out of the way of Perry, her cat) to her front garden and using trail cams had recorded the mother visiting them nightly. We tiptoed round them but they were obviously aware of us as they kept well hidden under the vegetation. I wasn't able to get any more of a photo than of an eye, keeping watch and staying absolutely still! What a joy to have 2 baby hares being raised in your front garden! Fiona has since got better photos of them leaving the confines of the garden and extending their boundaries. 

The riverside walk next to the Leader.

Fiona beside the front garden patch containing 2 leverets!

Then it was back to the bus stop and the bus arrived on time this time. (The morning one was 20mins late.) What a great day out and even though the weather was sub-optimal the squirrels came out to have their photos taken, and a bonus vole as well! Big thanks to Fiona for showing me a few of her favourite haunts. I really enjoyed it!