Hello hello hello

[Highland Damsel]

Hey

This is my first posting, i have visited the site several times since finding it whilst wildlife surfing at work in a quiet moment. It was amazing to find, i loved reading the threads, so much of interest and a huge ammount of knowledge!

Well it is now the day after new year, having a lazy one after a mad highland hogmannay and new year, and finally joined. I live in the north west Highlands in Scotland, and work three days a week as an Estate Conservation Officer with a large conservation charity and two days as a gardener in a private garden. In my first job i am involved in carrying out various surveys, butterflies, moths, woodlands croftlands, inverts, i am involved in controlling invasive species particularly Japanese knotweed and Rhododendron ponticum and through my work have found an unexpected passion for dragonflies. My second job is on the very edge of my patch and allows me to be out and recording for the rest of the week!

I have just become a local dragonfly recorder for this area which is a great motivation for getting my ass to some fantastic places to go dragon hunting next summer, i suspect the inverts forum will help with other insect i.d. at the same time. I am just looking forward to this so much

Here goes

Babs

[tombong1]

Hello & welcome,

[Dutchess]

Hello and welcome to the forum, Babs. And Highland Damsel, what a lovely user name!

I think this forum often strikes passers by as a rare find! It certainly becomes home very quickly once you have taken the plunge, so pull up a chair by the fireside and share some of your stories with us, I am sure you have loads to tell - your life sounds varied and fulfilling!

D.

[goosey]

Hi Babs, what interesting and worth while jobs you do and in such an enviable location. You will have so much to contribute yourself to WAB as you find out all you need to know. It is almost exactly a year since I joined here, and it has been marvelous, I have learned so much and my interests have snowballed. I am sure you will love here too - welcome!

[Highland Damsel]

Guys

Thanks, i have to admit i'v lived here for six years and it still blows me away, even on dreich wet days and my work has allowed me to learn so much and meet some really good people. Theres a good network of people up here with so much knowledge and entusiasm even my next door neighbour happens to be a birder and used to be into moths, useful for helping with id wen i set the traps.

[big bill]

Hello Babs and welcome to the site its great to have someone else from this neck of the woods on as we are few and far between there are a couple of us enjoy the site and hope you have got over your hangover and not suffering to much from the after effects of the amber necter,,,Happy New Year as well look forward to your posts and pics

[Highland Damsel]

Absolutely nice to hear from you, good to know theres someone else from up here although did read someone from Orkney and also from Coll and Tiree, the hangover's better today than yesterday (only out til 2 last night), was gonna go walking but never quite got the old boots on.

What are you into, which are your fav forums

[big bill]

Hello Babs up until earlier last year was into landscape photography and portraiture until had to have a tumour removed from brain which left me lackinf in a few areas so unable to venture to far without family or friends as an escort so have taken up Bird photography and macro/closeup to give me something to do was down at Loch Morlich yesterday as unable to drink due to medication and conditions continually changing got some pics of Wood Ducks and some of the loch.then it started to rain which ended it all

[juliejam]

Hi there...It sounds like your have a couple of very rewarding jobs on your hands..Lucky you..

Looking forward to seeing your pic's and post's around the forum...so get posting soon...

Julie

[buzfuz8149]

Hi Babs,

a warm welcome to WAB, glad you found your way here, looking forward to your photos and more posts.

Carol.

[Deer Stalker]

Hi Babs.

[tigger]

Hi Babs. You lucky thing! Dream jobs...

Looking forward to seeing some of your dragonfly pictures... love these creature, but know very little about them. I did an entry recently on my blog about damselflies back in the summer. A whole field of them, like a glittering red scarf. Anyway, hi and welcome!

Jane

[glsammy]

Welcome to WAB Babs. Dragonflies are one of my passions, so your more than welcome!

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi Babs,

welcome to WAB from me too.

neil

[derekmc]

Hi Babs -

Nice to hear from you. As you've already noticed there's quite a few people here - myself included - who have an interest in dragonflies, so I'm sure you'll enjoy the site and find it a great help with your work.

As you might have gathered from the name I do have a bit of a Scottish connection but my family are a lot further south than you (most of the uncles, cousins and other waifs & strays are scattered between Fife and Dumfriesshire). Can't wait to read your posts and find out more about the Highlands!

All the best, and a belated Happy Hogmanay!
Derek

[stirling]

Hi and welcome from me.

Best from mike.

[ron1863]

Hi and a warm welcome

[coasty]

good morning and welcome

[rlchew]

Hi Babs

Welcome to WAB.

Although I live down here in the deep south, I have been visiting the Scottish Highlands and Islands every year (sometimes 2 or 3 times a year!) since 1987.

You have some magnificent landscapes and wildlife up there which I have to experience on a regular basis as an antidote to the stressful urban sprawl down here.

Richard