Having spent two days doing  A Thing That Had To Be Done, I now have some time of my own to pop some cheerier pictures on here.   On Saturday we went to the badlands south of the the river, and firstly ascended Cairnpapple Hill, to find it full of some most interested cows, which were not in any way afforded the luxury of a fence, so we descended in jig time.   Then we went up Cockleroy, just to prove we’re not scared of hills per se.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we went shopping.  On Sunday we hied off to Vane Farm/Loch Leven because it had been at least a fortnight since our last visit, jings, whole continents could move in that time*.  It turned out to be a bonanza day, I forswore a scone in the interest of having stuffed myself the day before, and we were amply rewarded with bar- and black-tailed godwits, a reed bunting, two peregrines and a wee thing which might have been a wood sandpiper but no-one was terribly sure.  The usual suspects were there too, the far hide was tufted duck central, although not so many curlew as in previous years, and the presence of siskin was notable enough to make the special sighting board, along with marsh harrier.  We met some nice people who let us look through their  ‘scope at a coot chick, too faraway to photograph properly but that has never stopped me trying.  The great crested grebes, which were nesting last time we were there, were out on the water with four wee chicks on mum’s back.  I’ll stop now, but there is much more to tell, so if you are bored and can’t sleep, do call.

Our trip to Beadnell at the end of June was grand fun, inexplicably the men won the quiz again …  but we had lots of chat, long walks and full tummies.  (Little tern, ringed plover, sand martin and many jackdaw spotted).

 

 

 

 

So, lastly, a couple from the Royal Highland Show, a bloke uni-cycling on top of a tractor caught my eye,  as did a white tailed sea eagle which was on display.  You’d think that at such close range I would manage a better picture, but it was very busy (I was being shoved) and the light was very bright.

*that’s a joke, I am fully aware of the principle of continuous continental drift.  I have been to Þingvellir, you know.