Sometimes I think I’m a bit rubbish at life, I don’t stravaig the planet and I haven’t invented anything, I have founded no dynasty.  This begins to explain why I enjoy watching and listening to birds so much, because they don’t give a stuff.  Some of them have cracked the egg of sheer joy, you only have to look at them flying or hear them belting out a tune to understand that.  Yesterday at RSPB Vane Farm Loch Leven we watched goldfinches, house sparrows, siskins and greenfinches at the feeders,  then saw a heron, shelducks, mute swans, barnacle geese, moorhens and goldeneyes from the hides.  Last week we went to SWT Loch of the Lowes to see Lady the osprey and her toyboy.  Lady had laid an egg the night before, she and her partner were taking turns to incubate it.  When she’s in the nest she walks with her claws curled in so that she doesn’t break the egg.  This gave her the air of a prima ballerina en pointe, absolutely charming for what after all is a lean mean fish killing machine.  The whole reserve was fair hoatchin’ with excitement, and we watched many more finches, a woodpecker and a red squirrel from the viewpoint.  Last, but not least, I had another personal first when I saw a reed bunting from the hides.

Prior to all the ornithological shenanigans we had been to Aberfeldy for my birthday, and thence to Blair Atholl for the 9th Folk Club shindig.  We had a great time catching up with old friends, making new ones and missing some regulars.

There is a whole heap more to tell, but for now I’m going to go downstairs and watch some of my new dvds, pootle about with my Bizarre Bookshop jigsaw, practice my ukelele and read some books.  Oh, and also finish the laundry, make the tea and water the plants.

Enough already.