Today’s guest picture is a small herd of deer in Richmond Park which were spotted by my sister Mary on a walk there yesterday.
After a grey start, our day turned out very well here and I went for a walk to stretch my leg while Mrs Tootlepedal got the house looking even better for our visitors.
My walk took me past the Kilngreen and back by the Castleholm and the Jubilee Bridge but I didn’t have time to linger on the way and only took a token picture or two to prove that I had been out…
I did stop to wish the minister a happy new year and was nearly trampled to death by his herd of wild chickens.
When I got home, I recorded a wallflower trying to come out on our garden. It should have died last winter but flowered instead and had survived so far this winter too.
Mrs Tootlepedal drove off to Lockerbie to fetch Matilda and her parents from the train and I stayed at home to cook the lunch and look out of the window.
The chaffinch has got a damaged leg and when I first saw it some weeks ago, I imagined that it would not survive long. However, it has proved very durable and often visits our feeder, hanging onto the perch with its good leg.
In spite of a couple of flying visits from the sparrowhawk, there was a good turnout of birds at the feeder. Here a greenfinch shows a bit of impatience and kicks a chaffinch off one of the perches.
The greenfinches are the kings of our castle and no one kicks them off a perch.
We had a moire varied turnout than of late and there are four different finches in the picture below; siskin, chaffinch, goldfinch and greenfinch.
As well as the finches, a blackbird was enjoying the sun while scavenging for a little fallen seed.
I spotted one further member of the finch family a few minutes later when a lesser redpoll paid us a visit.
Matilda and her entourage arrived safely and she kindly posed for me with Clare her mother.
She is regarding the camera with understandable suspicion.
I took a picture of her father Al too and he was looking so serious that I thought that he would suit black and white.
After a good lunch, Matilda wrapped up well…
…and set off for a walk round the town in her father’s perambulator to make the best of the sunny day.
It was a very sociable affair…
…and understandably, she was a little tired by the time we neared home.
A little broccoli revived her and she kept us fully entertained for the rest of the afternoon until Mrs Tootlepedal took her and her parents back to Lockerbie to catch the train home again. It was a delightful visit.
The improvement in my knee ought to allow me to go up and see her in Edinburgh quite soon.
I was pleased to get two walks in but I couldn’t get the knee to agree to pedal the bicycle to nowhere today and had to give up after only a couple of rotations. I am learning that if I try to do too much, I just have to slow down again.
I have a choice of two flying objects today. You can take your pick.
A traditional flying chaffinch…
…or a newfangled drone buzzing high in the sky near our house.
Tootlepedal's Blog 
The post was full of splendid pictures both of birds and babies. Matilda is a real winner looking a monarch of all she surveys. Glad your knee stood up to more walking even if the bike to nowhere wasn’t able to be used today.
Matilda is growing fast for sure, she’s so beautiful! 🙂
You are a person of very sound judgement.
Such a cute kiddo. We don’t see many baby buggies around here anymore. Reminded me of growing up in Ontario. One Halloween, our pastor dressed as a baby and arrived in one of those. 🙂
Mrs Tootlepedal has been storing this one away for many years just for this occasion.
Your sister’s shot of the deer is excellent.
I had to laugh at Matilda’s surprised look at the camera. She didn’t seem to care much for her ride this time. Maybe she doesn’t like the cold.
I wonder if that drone has a camera on it. If so you might be able to get some good bird’s eye views of the garden if you know the owner.
I hadn’t thought of a bird’s eye view of the garden. I might look into that.
Matilda was very cheery on her walk even if I didn’t quite catch her at the right moment.
Matilda is a little ray of sunshine, she’d brighten up the dreariest of days! That may account for some great action shots of the birds.
Sorry to hear that you weren’t able to pedal today, but I’m sure that it’s only a minor setback.
I hope so but I must not be too impatient.
Gorgeous Matilda! Her Dad looks very much the aspiring moody poet in the black and white photo.
I think that this is a case of mistaken identity as I don’t think that he has a poetical streak in him at all.
To a comment such as that I think thus the heart will break, yet brokenly live on
Case proven….bit still, a very handsome portrait.
Matilda is adorable, like a storybook child. Her dad looks like an old fashioned cinema star in that photo…or, as Cathy said, a poet.
Who says that the camera never lies.
Definitely the winner of Best Day of the Year 2015 🙂
I agree.
Very fine pictures of beautiful Matilda and her parents. No wonder Matilda was tired after all that sociability in the town.
You did well to capture 4 different kinds of birds at the feeder with such clarity.
Hope you can resume pedalling soon.
What wonderful light Mary has caught with the deer. As for your dear TGBW, she looks a little nonplussed. Perhaps it’s because of TGGW’s funny walk. Lovely to see her, whatever her expression. I have a blood red wallflower in (deformed) bloom at present. Glad you survived the chickens’ assault.
Yes, I liked the light a lot. I think Matilda was considering her position rather than being nonplussed. She likes to give matters a lot of thought.
Having had a visit from Matilda I have to say she is indeed the most beautiful baby in the world.
You are a very amiable fellow but it must be cheering for you to have a grandchild who is the world’s second greatest baby.
Matilda grows bonnier by the day. It will be nice when you can get up to Edinburgh to visit her.
A fortnight at the worst.
A good day for birds in your garden. I enjoyed seeing your lovely granddaughter and her family.
Us too.
Looks like you had a double-dose of sunshine, with the planetary kind and the World’s Greatest Baby. I guess there is no need to tell you how adorable she is. It looks like she attracts well-deserved, adoring attention wherever she goes. Great to see such a variety of birds at your feeder. The photo of the lesser redpoll is quite sweet.
They are very pretty little birds.
I do love those photos of Matilda!! And I must say you have more of those drones flying about than we do, or at least that I’ve seen!
I have only seen three in Langholm but that is more than enough.
Do hope the vicar shares eggs with his flock.
At a very reasonable price.
The deer look good – there are a number of deer in the park areas between Hamilton and Motherwell but they are always so far away to capture on camera.
The Richmond Park ones are very used to a lot of company.
A child who eats broccoli? Amazing.
I think so too.