Aye right! The weather has been shocking.
I had cheques to deliver before I could get home for Christmas so I bombed it around everybody and actually surpassed myself. Whether it was luck or determination I managed to get all of my cheques out in 2 days and caught the last overnight ferry of the year home.
Christmas was spent doing some SRDP work but not too much, I’m a good procrastinator. Then it was back out to Uist for New Years which was great (minus the weather). I really was about 10 seconds away from turning back to go home, it was getting insane the amount of snow and skidding but I pushed on and right after Crainlarich the roads cleared up. Well worth it too because the hills were stunning. Stags standing by the road, birds swooping around. Amazing.
Doing feed sites and corn bunting work isn’t so nice in the cold mind you, the wind in Uist is a cruel mistress. Everyone I spoke to mentioned that frost is rare out here nevermind snow so it must’ve taken a lot of people by surprise including sadly a lot of the birds. I found a dead snipe while out doing work, in near perfect condition. It must be a victim of the weather which makes me worry about the rest of the birds. So please feed your garden birds, they need your help more than ever.
Anyway I carried on doing SRDP work and it’s going really well. We’re onto a winning formula now so I hope I can get a lot of crofters into the SRDP scheme. That coupled with feed sites is going to take up a lot of my time. Especially since it’s a lot of driving or walking to get to each site, the birds don’t make it easy by eating near the carparks that’s for sure.
I have booked my holiday for next month, 2 whole weeks away to Texas! Unfortunately it seems that I’m addicted to buntings as they have Indigo and Painted buntings out that way (look them up they are all colourful) and I want to try and find one of each. Kieren of 12 months ago would never have gone bird chasing so there’s some change going on here.
That’s you guys up to date though, I wish you all a very happy new year (can you still do that on the 11th of January?) and to my fellow apprentices I hope I can meet you guys soon, keep battling.
