occasional visitors

wrens are normally seen on the ground but the male wren is beginning to mark out his territory by singing from a vantage point. The male bullfinch is a very infrequent visitor probably because they were much persecuted for the damage they do to fruit trees.

our home

there is nothing better than sprawling out in front of a nice warm fire after a hard day eating and walking

unidentified flying object

we saw this handsome bird gliding in front of us this morning for several hundred yards. I am not sure what it was, it might be a very pale buzzard but it did not act or fly like a buzzard, but more like an owl and paused briefly to attack something in the grass verge before flying on. It seemed completely unconcerned by our presence which is most un-buzzard like. It was not a juvenile herring gull.

reminders

the granite quartz and crocuses mark the spot where Sophie, one of our dogs, was buried two years ago. It has been very dreary for several weeks now but there are signs of some colour appearing in the hedgerows.

snowdrops

there are an amazing number of snowdrops around this February. These are a local variety with large flower heads and an upright god fearing habit.

Spot fishing

contemplating a death defying leap across this raging torrent