January 25th 2023
We decided to visit Backwater reservoir today, the sun is shining, there's a clear blue sky and no-one will visit at this time of year. A short drive along winding scottish lanes takes us up to the car park next to the dam itself. There is a road which crosses the dam and leads further into the glen, to a few farms and then ends.
Today we were out for the walk and I always, most of the time, have a camera with me, you never know? This area has been described to me for some amazing wildlife so I have to be prepared.
So, we set off along the road leading up the Western side of the reservoir, bird song all around us, the sun beating down but, it is January and it is Scotland so we were all wrapped up warm.
We met a couple a few hundred yards up the walk, both wearing binoculars so we chatted, had they seen anything at all? It had been very quiet so far, very little bird activity at all. We agreed how quiet it was, they had been looking for Crossbills, a bird I have only seen once and that, from a long distance. None today, it seemed so, we went our separate ways.
Not 200 yards later, Jo heard something singing. We looked all around us and there at the top of a young, small pine, was a female Crossbill. Amazing.
I remembered I had the camera and long lens so, whipped it out and started shooting.

Neither of us could believe it. Our first Crossbill and so close.
A beautiful female bird, bright yellow against the blue sky, almost like it was arranged for us.
She sat for around one minute before flying off further up the hillside but, it was more than enough for both of us. Thirty or so shots, I must have got a few decent ones?

We carried on with our walk, up to the picnic table, sat and had a sandwich and drink, chatting about our sighting, the peace and quiet and how warm the sun felt. OK, when the breeze picked up, it was freezing so, we wandered back to the car, I had my eyes and ears peeled but, our opportunity had passed but what a great sighting.
All this served to do, of course, was to drive me to visit and walk here more often but, weather often dictates those visits it was actually to be a while before I could return.


I hope you enjoyed this short tale, I hope to add many more.