…Just a few crumbs from the table.
17th March 2025
(Above) The Glenfeshie hills as viewed from near Ruthven Barracks this morning. L to R: Sgoran Dubh Mor, Sgor Gaoith and Carn Ban Mor. Obvs not part of the SAIS Creag Meagaidh area but included to juxtapose snow cover here to the much leaner conditions further west.
(Above) Drumochter. West of the A9. Left to right: The Boar of Badenoch, Sgairneach Mhor and A’Mharconaich. All looking a bit bereft of snow, unfortunately.
(Above) The hills to the east of the A9, with Carn na Caim on the extreme left. A wee skiff of snow still remains over summits, punctuated by thin ribbons atop heavily incised gully features. Hard or firm snow where shaded but a little softer where the sun had done its work.
(Above) Stumbled across a few of these feeding stations(?) today which I’d noticed hereabouts over the past few years. The green container holds a granular chalky substance which – not 100% sure – I take to be a supplement for grouse to improve/strengthen the shells of the eggs they lay? (Edit: see the ‘Comments’ below for expert explanations.)
(Above) The view over to Ben Alder left and Lancet Edge centre right. Slightly whiter on summit areas and N to E aspects but otherwise pretty sparse cover comprised of quite isolated snow patches. Seems like the west has scrounged just a few crumbs of snow from the northern Cairngorms table!
Comments on this post
Got something to say? Leave a comment
Archaeocol
17th March 2025 5:02 pm
They’re medicated grit trays – used to try to reduce the incidence of parasitic threadworms in grouse.
The stuff is Flubendazole – very toxic stuff – don’t let your dog (or any other bird or animal for that matter) eat it!
https://www.gwct.org.uk/advisory/guides/medicated-grit-best-practice/
meagaidhadmin
17th March 2025 5:15 pm
The toxicity element is quite worrying if you’re a hill-goer with a dog who is not in the know about the stuff.
Keith
17th March 2025 5:08 pm
Great photos again, despite the lack of snow.
Regarding photo 4, I think the tray will contain grit and most probably medicated grit. Due to the tough fibrous nature of Ling heather (Calluna vulgaris), the predominant food of Red Grouse adults, the birds ingest grit to aid digestion. Most of the grit stays in the gizzard and muscle contractions there break down the plant material to facilitate its digestion.
Red Grouse, especially in the densities desired on managed grouse moors, suffer from infestations of the parasitic Strongyle worm which live in their gut. These parasites can cause 4-6 year cyclical crashes in the populations of Red Grouse, not what the managers of grouse moors want. Grit is treated with flubendazole, an anti-worm drug, to reduce these population crashes.
I don’t know for certain that this is what is in these specific trays but I think it is highly likely.
meagaidhadmin
17th March 2025 5:13 pm
Two great answers! (Also see above) I knew the mountaineering hive mind would come up trumps.