Sunday 22 March 2015

The shrinking puddle


Having been so lucky with the aurora borealis earlier this week, 2 nights of wonderful skies, and with a weather forecast predicting 100% cloud cover for Friday morning, I really had no expectations of seeing the eclipse. After all the northern lights on Tuesday were really exceptional.  But, amazingly, the clouds did part for a few seconds every now and then during the eclipse and so we did see snippets of it, and felt even luckier!



Today dawned soft and still.


Coco and I disturbed a heron and a pair of mallard on the Duill lochan.



The older ewes were waiting for the sound of the quad bike.


With Farmer's new machine.  We have invested in this 'snacker' to cut down on the number of bags Farmer has to carry and to ensure the food is more evenly spread for the animals.  It seems to be working quite well.



In the afternoon, Farmer wanted to go and check that he had not left any sheep behind on the Point.


Farmer has been doing a bit of ditching. Satisfying to see the newly cleared ditch running with water again.


A robin sings its heart out, near a heartbreaking sight in a tractor wheel rut puddle.


Thousands of tadpoles trapped in a shrinking puddle.


The islands looked beautiful sitting in a shimmering sea.


Feathers from a massacre of sorts.


The first celandine.


As we walked around the Point, we had several big bird sightings - a trio of buzzards, a pair of ravens - sparring, tumbling, calling, retreating and attacking - amazing.


Thankfully there were no sheep hiding on the outside of the Point. We had a wonderful walk.  The sun was shining.  It was good to see the scrub woodland thriving - we are obviously getting the grazing pressure right there. 

When I was uploading the photographs I had taken of the tadpoles, I suddenly felt we couldnt leave them in certain death in that shrinking boggy puddle.  Farmer, Daughter and I went back on a rescue mission and transported them across to Duill lochan.   We hoped the difference in water temperature wouldnt be as big as the other lochan and that a few of them might survive. 


Fingers crossed.


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