Scozmo's Photery

February 12th – back up to Backwater reservoir for a wander, I have the Eagle bug and I’m (pretty) convinced there’s a pair looking for a nesting site somewhere in the vicinity so, off I went again. I used to visit two or three times a week but that has tailed off a little, i think the forestry work and the weather of course has decided for me but, I’m trying to get back there as often as possible.

There are a few things to see in this first panorama of the dam and the reservoir; 1. It’s blowing a hoollie! 2. The reservoir is full again.

So full …..

It’s overflowing once more 🙂 The patterns in that water as it poured over the lip and the wind blowing waves in was truly mesmerizing!

Onwards and as I walked I was adding hats and gloves, the wind would cut you in half!

As I walked I was listening for work on the hillsides so I could choose my route. They were working up there so, the low road it is.

I walked down to the old boathouse, it is really great to see the water right up to the shore once again.

As you can see, there is still snow on the ground all around but the sun kept breaking through so the light varied from dull to fabulous.

The sun lighting up the snowy hills was beautiful.

Can I suggest you tap or click on the shots above to see the full width?

I zoomed in on a cleft in the hills.

I keep telling myself that i will get up into those hills ….. maybe this is the year? 🙂

I carried on beyond the picnic bench and through the first gate, walking here can offer radical changes in light and temperatures, as I cleared the tree-line at the gate, the wind was howling down the glen into my face!!!

Every time I look at these shots I am reminded of how dry the reservoir was a few short weeks ago.

I stopped halfway to the second gate because the light was great, looking across the water and from top to bottom, the dam way down to our right.

You may notice I have a mix of images here, some phone, some camera, I had the long lens on so getting the wider shots was almost impossible with the camera.

Standing at the second gate, I was looking across at the far shore and the turning point on this track.

Through the second gate and down into the corner, where I usually watch Stone & Whinchats as the weather warms up and look back down the burn to the water.

I decided to carry on, see what I might see.

Standing at the turning point now, I can look almost to the dam, it’s just beyond that centre cleft in the hills., this is around 2 miles to this point. Carrying on now takes me past those trees directly on the left above.

The sign ahead point to Glendamph and the trail that goes right around the reservoir. I guess the only downer, kind of, is that the far side walk is on the road but, let’s face it, it’s hardly Metropolis is it? 🙂

As I looked back up the new logging road to the route I took a few weeks back, I saw this machine perched in sunlight and surrounded by felled trees, just caught my eye. This is commercial forestry so is felled and re-planted soon but a lot was blown over in the big storm a few years ago.

I carried on past the sign and around to the fence for that field, where I had my Eagle encounter a while back …….. you never know, right?

I walked down the fence, through the gate and part way along a very soggy track, looking for the eagle(s) but nothing. It’s not so long ago I was living in hope of ever seeing one here at all 🙂

As I followed the shore fence back, I started to disturb a few birds off the water.

A Grey Heron and a flock of Mallard. I also saw a few Goldeneye but too far for photos.

I followed the shoreline until I was back just below the trees at the turning point, turned up the hill and back onto the trail.

It really does make me feel good now the water actually reaches the shore it always did, when I spoke to the water people a couple of weeks back, they said it would take a couple of years the same as 2025 to actually empty this and then we’d have a problem. 😦

I was now on my way back down the main trail, I kept looking back, I try to always check all around me when I’m up here, I’ve had semi-missed bird encounters because I wasn’t looking!

And then ………..

Believe me, those are very cropped shots. A white-tailed Eagle and a ….. I can’t tell now but, when i saw them I was pretty certain it was two eagles, here’s hoping.

I spotted a Kestrel working the hillside as I continued on.

A very distant Red Kite back over the glens

I stopped off at the picnic bench for a snack and a drink but it was too cold in the wind to stop for too long.

There’s the picnic bench, just to the right of the road and under that conical pine.

One more look at those hills …

I had carried on beyond the clump of trees and down into the corner before turning back.

I had set off just before 10:30 and it was just before 13:30 when i got back to the car park and I had loved the walk, cold, fresh and a few sightings, not another soul met until my return trip.

I must try to keep my visits regular this year, I still haven’t seen a Crossbill again for a looooooong time, way overdue for an encounter or maybe another Eagle encounter?

I’ll keep you posted 🙂

Stay safe and well