Ravens of Glen Lethnot

Glen Lethnot from West Craig - pastel sketch on paper

The Ravens of Glen Lethnot were up to their usual aerobatic capers and business like intentions. The black gang of 'unkindness' were jousting with the strong wind over the bleak hill-side and cavorting in spiralling stoops to the heather and then swooping skywards with heavy bills singing a song that is only beautiful to them and, fortunately, also to me. Every creature, every bone, every berry, every carcass and every gralloched gut that is on the moor is known to these birds. Interrupting their new year feast, we are investigated from above by two nosey spies in the sky dressed in black, feathered stealth and their feast is investigated in turn by us. I share a communion of 'pruk-pruks' with one and my mimicked call seems to draw it closer for a few photos. I just love these busybodies of the highland moors.

The Singing Raven

A Red Grouse, possibly taken by the patrolling eagle, is left as scrap bones on the dinner plate of peat. Both feet and back-bone lie on the ground as if they had been thrown down in some voodoo ritual for the final dispersal of this once living bird and the wings, ripped off at the shoulders, are cast aside in flightless pity. The pickings were sparse but, up here in this winter desert of life, they are worth fighting over. 

The Raven's Feast

The immature Golden Eagle, seen here two weeks ago, is still a thorn in their sides and is competition for them, big competition. Wind surfing above the crags, the eagle is hassled by a Raven that is acting as sentinel for the others and it is eventually pushed up the glen away from the black gang, after all a crafty Golden Eagle just might take out a 'rookie' Raven for a meal. Ravens pair for life and are territorial but younger birds collect together until maturity. For me, the presence of Ravens on a grouse moor indicates the attitude of the keepering situation there.

Golden Eagle and Raven - studio pastel sketch on paper

Right at the head of Glen Lethnot you will find the area of mountain moorland where the poisoned Golden Eagle 'Fearnan' was found recently. I returned to the scene today after a two week recess and found, as described, the immature Golden Eagle foraging in the same area, two Common Buzzards frequenting the heights, a baker's dozen worth of Ravens, one Mealy Redpoll which is a notoriously difficult to identify winter visitor from Arctic Scandinavia, countless Red Grouse and a healthy population of Mountain Hare. 

High level (600m) hare near snow

Low level (360 m) hare no snow

Incidentally, the dead hare that I described in 'Ghost of Fearnan' two weeks ago has bettered Lazarus and vanished into the thin, glen air but a live replacement had filled its low altitude, snow free space and ran circles around my theory that these white Mountain Hares instinctively head up to the high slopes to hide beside the many snow patches that cover the moor at the moment. There is a difference in colour though between the high level hares up on the moors at around six hundred metres that are pure white and the one found in the glen at around three hundred and sixty metres that still has grey-brown ears, muzzle and patchy fur; this late pelage change might indicate a first year hare.

Raven pair

Well, home brewed theories are healthy to have and some of mine will be correct, including the one about raptor poisoning in this area. If laying poisoned bait was carried out on this estate, I am certain that the number of scavenging Ravens seen today would be much fewer than last summer's count which was the same as we had today. In my opinion, things just do not add up with this poisoned eagle named Fearnan.

 Mealy Redpoll, an uncommon winter visitor from Scandinavia

After climbing out of the glen towards the hill tops and in the midst of a blizzard that first wafted its way over the hills in a deceiving front of rolling mist, Mike and I followed the double electric fence that marks the estate march between Hunthill and Invermark for a mile but, like war-time soldiers sent from the trenches, our sense of duty rapidly waned under the heavy fire of snow flakes and the boggy, water-shed peat hags made the going feel very sponge-like underfoot. In a silently agreed defeat, our dissolving orders sent us back down to the glen and the Sheilin of Saughs stable. To our amusement a welcoming grouse was sitting on top of the stable bothy in the teeth of the softening blizzard and making use of this vantage point for look out duties. Grouse are not  prone to perching on obvious high points, like boulders, but prefer to keep to the heather or use boulders as cover to hide behind as they keep watch but bravado outlining like this one on the roof is uncommon. 

Red Grouse in a  blizzard on the Sheilin of Saughs heather roof !

The snowing continued for three miles then gave way to gritty sleet. We waited for more to happen and eventually I graced my doup down into the icy heather to sketch, while Mike investigated the crags. Pastel mixed with the gritty ice falling onto the damp paper does not really work but, as the end result can be interesting due to the fact that it is an arty integration between weather and soul, I persevere like a mast strapped Turner with my heart felt duty to capture something of the day's bleak nature.  

Sketching today in sleety snow

One unusual find today was a three centimetre wide tunnel that crossed a land rover track. This underground tunnel broke through the hard, stony surface and left an earthquake wake behind it. The tunnel was fairly narrow for a mole and there was no evidence of mole hills around, as Mike suggested, so it might be a vole excavation. The track bisects a grassy area that would be suitable habitat for voles and it is amusing that the poor creature went in the wrong direction a few times until the tunnel found its way across the track. This example shows you how far a creature will go to remain hidden from predators.

Vole tunnel

                   Vole tunnel

Buzzard at dawn over Hunthill

Common Buzzard

Fresh snow at the sheilin.

Mike as the misty blizzard approaches

Mealy Redpoll with typical white rump
 and white tail underparts

Notes;

All sketches and photos are done on the day and are artist copyright. Golden Eagle and Raven is a studio sketch done the following day.

Please be aware that it is illegal to disturb nesting eagles or other raptors and you may do so inadvertently in your journeys into the highlands. I do not recommend searching for any of the species mentioned in this blog because this may cause undue disturbance to them. With my knowledge of the areas described in this blog I can locate and observe protected species at a respectful distance usually from about 1000 metres for short periods of time only.

doup - Scots for backside

'unkindness' - collective name for a group of Ravens

mast strapped Turner - English painter who strapped himself to a ship's mast during a storm to savour the experience for expressive translation into paint on canvas later.

Weather - hill fog with snow, south-westerly wind moderate.