Lisa G Saw • March 5, 2023

Alpine Stream

I couldn’t ask for a better day – a cloudless azure sky, only a slight cool breeze caressing my skin and the sun shining down on this beautiful white wintery scene high up in the French Alps. I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face. The fresh mountain air fills my lungs and I smile. It’s so good to be here again.

 

The lake behind me is frozen and hidden beneath the snow that covers the whole valley floor. In contrast, the green fir trees stand out on the slopes around me, uncovered by the white stuff. Evidently, it hasn’t snowed a great deal recently and the sun has melted much of it away.

 

I’m sitting on a rock beside a stream and I can see the sun glistening on the water like diamonds sparkling brilliantly. The sound of the water is so relaxing as it gently moves down stream. I feel the calm wash over me, that lovely familiar feeling as I let all thoughts drift away and I remain fully present in the moment. Small clusters of foam bubbles swirl and dance on the surface as they navigate past a rock that lies in their way. Just to the left, below the surface, reddish coloured roots of something growing in the stream protrude outwards, gently moving slightly as the flow of water glides by. Beside me, the snow has melted from the riverside slightly, exposing flattened brown grass, revealing a fragment of the world that lies beneath the snow.

On the other side of the stream the snow meets the water and I notice a thin shelf of ice seemingly hovering over the edge, not quite dipping into the water. Young bare trees poke out of their temporary white blanket. I spot animal footprints trailing across the snow. My eyes follow their path up the mountain until they disappear.

 

I’m sitting quietly, sipping hot chocolate, so content I don’t want to leave. I let the seconds and minutes pass by in stillness, feeling relaxed and happy. I barely notice any of the other people walking around, also taking in the tranquil scene. There aren’t many. There’s so much space here.


Reluctantly, I leave, grateful for the opportunity to appreciate the beauty around me and to relax for a short while, breathing it all in.

Dog Falls

Autumn in Scotland 2025

By Lisa G Saw • November 23, 2025
This autumn Bob and I returned to the Highands, two years after our last trip to the area. With his son Matt and fiancée Emily now living there, it was a great opportunity to see them, enjoy some wildlife watching and spend time out in nature. The weather forecast for our time away was less than ideal, but we were determined to make the most of our visit, even if that meant wearing waterproofs most days! We stayed in two different self-catered accommodation in the Aigas Valley near where Matt and Emily live, on the west side of Loch Ness. It was lovely staying somewhere new and very picturesque, especially during the autumn. The only downside about the holiday was that I managed to hurt my back the day before leaving. It was very frustrating, but I didn't want it to ruin the holiday, so I tried to focus more on enjoying the experience of where we were and not worrying too much about the photography. That being said, I did use my camera on the first morning as a little test. On that first day, and on two subsequent days, we explored Glen Affric. It looked beautiful with the autumn colours (top and below). On every visit, we stopped at Dog Falls, where the picturesque River Affric tumbles and cascades over the rocks. For a stretch, a path runs alongside it, providing us with plenty of opportunities to stop and look out for any Dippers. As luck would have it, I did spot one very early on. It flew across the river to the far side and proceeded to bob up and down, periodically diping its head into the water looking for food. It was wonderful to have some time watching it, and keeping up with it as it worked its way down river. But eventually, it flew off and we lost sight of it. Unfortunately, it was to be our only Dipper sighting the whole time we were in these parts and none of the photos were worth keeping.
Marsh Harrier

A Day at Minsmere

By Lisa G Saw • July 6, 2025
Bob and I had just experienced a wonderful four days in Norfolk in search of the Swallowtail butterfly , which I'd never seen before, and we decided to head home via RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk. Both of us had only ever been to this reserve once before, many years ago, before we knew each other. That first visit for me was a memorable occasion because it was the first time I saw Eurasian Otters in the wild and my first ever sighting of an Eurasian Bittern. Aside from it being a lovely nature reserve to visit anyway, it was the lure of the bittern that was calling me back. We'd already had two lovely sightings of this shy and elusive waterbird in Norfolk, but I had higher hopes for a better, closer sighting at Minsmere having seen some fabulous photos on social media from a few weeks prior. So, whilst we were sad to be leaving Norfolk, I was eager for the day ahead and what we might see. Things were off to a great start as we followed the woodland trail to one of the hides and saw a small cluster of people on the path ahead looking up. Someone had spotted a Tawny Owl high up in the trees. There was even a scope set up pointing towards it. The gentleman who owned it kindly invited us to have a look. It was fabulous to see the owl nestled close to the tree trunk and with its eyes shut, having a few winks. They sleep a lot in the daytime since they're mostly nocturnal. After looking through the scope, it was a case of trying to locate it it with my bins and see if I could take a photo. I was pleased with the image I was able to capture. More people came along the path and some people were struggling to spot it. Bob and I both ended up helping others try to locate it. It can be very difficult describing to others which line of trees and branches to follow with their eyes!
Swallowtail

Swallowtails in Norfolk: Part 2

By Lisa G Saw • June 30, 2025
In the first part of this blog post - Swallowtails in Norfolk - I wrote about our first two days spent mostly at Strumpshaw Fen, where I successfully saw my first ever Swallowtail butterfly. Following this, we had two more days exploring the area. I still hoped I'd see more of this beautiful native species at some of the other reserves. DAY 3 The forecast for this day wasn't great, but at least dry. There wouldn't be much chance of any sunshine until the afternoon, when it would warm up a bit. So, we decided to head to Buxton Heath, on the other side of Norwich. Bob knew it was a good site for the Silver-studded Blue butterfly. It's a species we have in just two locations within Sussex - both of which we've been to. It's a species that thrives on heathland and can be found in good numbers in the right habitat if it's managed well - with grazing or periodic burning in patches. It turned out the forecast wasn't very accurate. When we arrived, it was already brightening up and our chance of finding roosting butterflies disappeared very quickly. However, it was lovely exploring somewhere new and aside from one other couple and a man working there, we didn't see anyone else for the three hours we were there. We left the car park and headed towards the northern corner of the heath first and in next to no time, Bob spotted one flying. I stopped and looked down and saw there was another right beside me. I used my bins to take a closer look and suddenly noticed there were ants crawling around it. Instantly, I knew this was something special. The butterfly had only just emerged. I quickly took some photos but was having real issues with my camera. I was so disappointed not to get any good photos. The butterfly is out of focus but the ant is sharp!!! Hmmm! Not what I was going for! This close relationship with ants occurs with a few of the blue species of butterfly, such as the Large Blue, Adonis Blue and Chalkhill Blue. It's the first time I've ever seen the ants in attendance of a new emerged butterfly, so I was thrilled at least to have seen it.
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