17 April 2009 - The Hermitage, Dunkeld, Scotland

Wanting a better walk to test our little one's buggy we ventured out to The Hermitage in pursuit of waterfalls and easy footpaths. A superb site on a lovely hot Scottish Spring day.

Mountain Bumble-bee (Bombus monticola). ID based on key in Edwards & Jenner (p 40-41) - but comments appreciated.

Tiger beetle spp. - not sure this is the same baest that runs across the sandy dunes and heathland of Southern England. These chaps, and there were loads of them, seemed considerably smaller than Green Tiger Beetle. But who knows? Not I.

Fly spp on conifer - was there no end to the entomological excitement to this day...?

And then, just as we got back to the car, I located a Dipper's nest, complete with Dippers.

I left to Wiff to return to the car, I readied my camera and took a few test shots. I took a couple of pics of the birds and then my batteries ran out. Bollocks!