Waiting

Today’s picture is yet another from my brother and shows Mt Taranaki, an imposing hill in NZ.  It is a pity that someone seems to have made off with the very top bit of it or it would be even more impressive.

I had intended to go cycling with Dropscone after breakfast but continuing feebleness of mind and dodgy joints persuaded me to let him have all the pleasure of pedalling into yet another strong easterly wind by himself….though I nobly helped him out with the eating of the girdle scones when he arrived for coffee after the pedal.

I am used to having these spells of tiredness and it will soon pass and I am hoping that the strong, chilly winds will have passed as well as the thought of cycling into them is not speeding up my recovery one little bit.

An idle morning gave me time to get more familiar with my new music software and the opportunity to take some bird portraits.  A number of my visitors agreed to sit for me.

Greenfinch and goldfinch

Brambling and blackbird

Female and male siskin

These portraits may be clicked upon to enlarge them. 

The little bit of seed falling from the female’s beak leads to large numbers of chaffinches waiting under the feeder for scraps from the table.  The birds all seem to crunch the seeds with the end or sides of the beak before swallowing them which gives rise to the falling fragments.

After all the pictures in previous days of siskins scrapping, I thought it only fair to post one of siskins sharing peacefully.

Mrs Tootlepedal had had a choir practice in the morning and went to work in the afternoon so I was left to my own devices and after lunch I thought that I should take some exercise however slight so I packed the cameras and went for one of my usual walks.

Some signs of spring were to be seen but not many.

The daffodils should have been out long ago and the snowdrops should be well over by now.

However the birds are definitely getting that spring feeling and beginning to pair off.

Two ducks keep it clean.

Some single birds were to be seen as well.

The heron obliged me with a stately fly past as I walked along the riverside on the Kilngreen.

And I saw both a pair of wagtails…

One stopped for a moment

…and a pair of dippers….

Both of them stopped but only one was not in deep shade

…as I walked across the Sawmill Bridge.

Then I walked round the pheasant hatchery where furious building to house the new brood is taking place.

They dismantle them and rebuild them in a different spot each year .

I would like to know more about lichens/moss and understand why this tree, standing among many others around it which are covered with lichen/mosses, has only this almost perfect circle to show.

I found the River Esk in peaceful mood.

But then I walked on and sat beside the river  for a while on a convenient fallen branch and hoped for something exciting to pass me by.  Nothing did but I enjoyed this more active river scene while I waited.

I noticed, as I walked on,  that the Easter bunny was still in position, hoping that if it stood perfectly still that I wouldn’t see it.

I saw nothing else of note until I stopped to take a picture of a very fine member of the minister’s flock at the manse.

Someone must have been chucking bread over the wall because within seconds of stopping I was being approached by an ugly mob.

I made an excuse and left.

When I got home, the feeder was empty and the garden was birdless.  However, the birds must post sentries because within seconds of putting the feeder out again, the garden was full of birds which arrived so to speak out of thin air.

Then I started off some more sourdough bread and made my tea.

My flute pupil Luke came and showed me the handsome certificate he had received for passing his grade examination and we had a good practice.  The best thing about having a pupil as he or she progresses is that it gives you someone to play duets with and Luke and I are working on a piece by J B Loeillet which is coming along nicely.

I had expected to go and play some more music in the evening but this was cancelled and I was able to have a relaxing evening in.  The forecast is claiming that the wind will drop on Wednesday and I am hoping to be perky enough to cycle then.  Meantime, I am going to continue to do nothing much.

The flying bird of the day was a low flying gull.