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A pair of White-tailed Eagles appeared on the local river during a brief cold spell mid month. Exceptionally heavy rains soon followed. This and melting hill snow put a big spate in the river. Any dead and dying salmon were soon washed away along with any hope of further eagle photography. The birds moved on elsewhere to seek easier pickings.
The autumn’s run of American vagrants has continued right up to the end of the year. Early in the month a Greater Yellowlegs made an appearance on the east coast at a site that I visit regularly. It is a bird that is very similar to our Greenshank except for its bright yellow legs.
A few moths continue to fly on mild nights throughout winter. The December Moth, despite its name, here in the north is on the wing rather earlier in the autumn. Very few last through until December.
Wild Boar are a recent addition to our local fauna. About forty escaped from captivity on a highland estate some years back. They quickly disappeared into the countryside establishing a widespread breeding population. They are difficult to see or photograph, being very shy and mostly nocturnal. The boar pictured were captive in an enclosure, where they were being used to control bracken in a woodland restoration project.
December 2011
