Mark's Journal

 The old blog has been a bit neglected of late but that's just because I've been busy in the real world, going to concerts, birdwatching, exploring, eating out and all of that. Online I created a companion blog which I share with Adrian Chenzbraun and Paul Toner, where we post some of our photographic results. For April there is a little post from me showing some of the great birds that visit here in the southwest of Scotland. You can find the whole post here and here are a couple of the photos to get you started.

 This year is a good one for seeing Aurorae as the Sun is coming down in activity from its eleven-year maximum. It's a tricky business though. I have an aurora alert app on my phone but, I need to respond instantly if I am to see the aurora as it doesn't last long. Last night I managed to get some scrappy aurora photos through a back bedroom window, picking up the camera immediately after a red alert on my phone. The aurora was visible above the street light of Dumfries but not as pretty as it would be from out in the countryside. The aurora is the greenish light with red blobs in it, but not the reflection on the window. 😀 Once I was sure I had some photos, I went downstairs, grabbed a coat and shoes and went to get a better view. that was all it took to miss the end of the show. the sky was beautiful, clear and starry but had no aurora in it. So - aurorae are a great challenge to hunt for but you need to be quick. I used the AuroraWatch UK app and the camera is a Fujifilm XT...

  Dihaoine bha mi a’ coiseachd ann a’ choille Heathhall. Bha uisge gu leòr ann an lag ghrinneal agus b’ urrainn dhomh faicinn steallan air an t-uachdar. Nuair bha mi a’ sealltainn faisg air an lag, chunnaic mi muile-mhàg a’ coiseachd fon t-uisge. Cha robh ach an camara beag agam ’s mar sin cha b’ urrainn dhomh toirt dealbh-camara math air sgàth na t-uachdar deàrrsach. Diluain thàinig mi air ais dhon lag ghrinneal. An uair seo bha mi a’ toirt leam am XT-50 Fujifilm agam len claon-ruathar agus glainne dhom pòlarachadh. ’S urrainn dhon camara seo faicinn tron t-uisge. Thàinig Cèidh cuideachd le DSLR len claon-ruathar agus glainne dhom pòlarachadh. An uair seo bha sinn a’ toirt an dealbhan-camara agus ’s iad an seo. Cuideachd chunnaic sinn dearc-luachrach uisge agus `s i seo.

Bho chionn còig bliadhna bha mi a’ faicinn gu leòr. Cha robh mi a feumaidh speuclairean ach cuin bha mi a’ leughadh. Ge-tà Di-Mairt chaidh mi don bùth an fhradharcaiche air sgàth ’s chan e urrainn dhomh faicinn dè a tha mi a’ tarraing no cuin tha mi a’ cluich an ceòl. Chan e urrainn dhomh an obair agam. Chaidh mi do fhradharcaich ùr ach tha i gu h-iongantach an sean fradharcaich agam bho chionn trithead bliadhna. Tha an t-uabhas obair againn ri dhèanamh fhathast. Ach cuideachd lorg i an trioblaid agam. Cuir i òrdugh-cungaidh airson speuclairean vari-focal orm. Chan eil iad saor! Ach ’s toil leam a’ faicinn agus tha mi a’ coimhead air adhart ri a’ faighinn na speuclairean ùr an ath-sheachdain.

Dèireachd na seachdain seo chaidh cha mi 's Cèidh  a' dol gu Mon Rois ann an Aonghas. Bha sinn a' fuireach ann an taigh-òsta Lunan House air an Tòb Lunan. Bha e àlainn! DiSatharna, chaidh sinn gu Amar Bhon Rois airson a' coimhead air eòin. Tha e ionad aig Urras Fiadh-bheatha na h-Alba an sin. Chaidh sinn a-steach an t-ionad acainneach far bha sinn a' chleachdadh am prosbaigean a' coimhead air an h-eòin. An uair sin chaidh sinn timcheall an Amar gu dà chrò-sheilg fasg air am Taigh Dùn far bha mi a pàirceadh an car agam. Bha e feasgar math agus chòrd a’ coiseachd fon ghrèin rinn. Às dèidh ùine mhòr thàinig sinn air ais an car. Ach cha robh an car a’ dol. Mar sin dh’fhòn mi gu Hyundai Recover. Chuir iad mi gu an app AA air-loidhne. Às dèidh leth-uair bha mi a’ falbh an app. Bha e gam chur droil! Dh’fhòn mi gu Hyundai Recover a rithist. Bha mi a’ fuireach ri mac an dhuine. Fhuair mi fear! Às dèidh leth-uair thàinig a’ bhan AA. Lorg neach-AA nach robh teàirrds a...

   Disatharna, an seachdamh, bha feasgar reul-eòlais ann an taigh-tasgaidh Dun Phrìs. An t-uisge trom ann ach bha teaglach moran a'tighinn a-mach. 'S toil le clann an taigh-tosgaidh. Bha iad a' ruidh mun cuirt air e agus bha iad a' lorg rudan ann an sealg-ionmhais. Chan fhaca sinn rionnagan idir agus mar sin bhruidhinn Judith, an neach-gleidhidh, mun an eachdraidh an taighe-tasgaidh Dun Phrìs agus bhruidhinn Niall bhon Comann Reul-eòlais Dun Phrìs mun prosbaigan. Disatharna an ath-seachdain fheuch sinn a-rithist.