Today’s guest picture is another from Gavin’s visit to Yosemite and shows a quite well known waterfall there.
We had another chilly but dry day today. This was a bit of a surprise as we had been promised rain.
Dropscone is going on holiday on the Isle of Skye next week so he came round for a farewell cup of coffee. He completely failed to bring traditional Friday treacle scones with him but made up for this with several hot cross buns which did very well instead.
After he left, I spent some fruitless time on my computer. National Savings had sent me a letter politely suggesting that I might like to register on line as I am a premium bond holder and this would save them the trouble of constantly sending expensive letters to tell me when I have won a prize.
This seemed fair enough, though they don’t send me many prize letters I can assure you, but having gone through the online process unsuccessfully a couple of times, the website ended up by telling me to print a form out and send my application to go on-line to them in the post. I was mildly amused.
After lunch, Mrs Tootlepedal and I went up to the Laverock Hide at the Moorland Project Feeding station, she to see if there were any raptors about and I to look at smaller birds.
She did get a brief view of a passing hen harrier and I saw a lot of small birds.
This was one of only two greenfinches that I saw today
But there were a lot of great tits about
And an unusually marked chaffinch
There were some slightly larger ones too.
Woodpeckers chased each other round the trees,
And then this one relaxed
I got a glimpse of a passing jay….
…and couldn’t miss this pheasant which stood right in front of me and stared me out.
Two visitors came into the hide hoping to see a goshawk but left fairly soon and then more bird watchers with big binoculars and a telescope arrived and they did see a goshawk…
….but it was far too far away for me to see at all.
Mrs Tootlepedal and I decided that goats on the moor might be a better bet so we went up onto the hill and saw three or four goats wandering around some distance away trying to look like boulders or clumps of heather.
We had thought that we had seen a goat or two near the Tarras Bridge on our way out so we had hopes of seeing some nearer to hand on our way home.
We were not disappointed.
A clue
We parked the car and I walked up the road with my camera at the ready. I tried to be as inconspicuous as possible but this was a wasted effort as the goats didn’t care how close i got to them.
They just kept munching…
…though they did give me the occasional glance.
There was a small group among the bracken.
It was a very peaceful scene.
People say that kids don’t climb trees any more but some do.
And others joined in.
Weighing up the job
All hands on deck
And then back to mum for a cuddle.
We left them chomping away in peace….
…and drove home.
It started to rain as we got back so we went inside and had a cup of tea. It soon stopped raining but in spite of a temperature of 10°, it felt so chilly and unwelcoming outside that we left the garden to itself and found things to do indoors.
I had a look at our own birds. They were still arguing.
And even this rather placid looking pigeon…
…had chased another three away from under the feeder.
In the evening, Mike and Alison came round and Alison and I tootled away merrily while Mike and Mrs Tootlepedal watched Gardeners’ World on the TV.
The orchestra and I found some agreeable tempos for the trickier pieces and we had moments when things sounded really good but there were also moments which indicated that a little more practice might not go amiss. Such is life.
After TV and music, we joined together and put the world to rights.
The flying bird of the day is a garden goldfinch.
You have excelled yourself, as always, with your photography, a magnificent photograph of the pheasant. Your woodpecker reminds me very much of our Kookaburra’s we get here Down Under. Darn screeching things they are too!
The woodpeckers are quite quiet but they do make a loud tapping noise when the attack the trees.
The pheasant is quite absurd looking, but also quite beautiful! A lovely selection of goats – they are very nonchalant indeed about the presence of people.
But they are genuinely wild animals. I was lucky to get so close to them.
Love those goats 🙂
It is a treat to see them. They are usually tucked well away from the roads.
I didn’t know that pheasants had Mickey Mouse ears.
I saw goats trying to climb trees just the other day, but they were adults.
I think I see one of the small ones here smiling.
Pheasants are very exotic birds to find in a a chilly Scottish wood.
Great shots! 🙂
Thank you HJ.
I think your unusually marked chaffinch is carrying baby fluff. Its very short tail is a giveaway.
It seems very early.
Among all the great shots, the pheasant stood out for me, front and center.
Standing out is what males pheasants do. They are not shy birds.
Loved all those goat photographs, the ‘in your face’ pheasant and the jay.
Enjoyed your trip among the goats and that extraordinary pheasant picture.
I really love your photos, waiting everyday 🙂
You are very kind.
The pheasant is rather startling in that beautiful photo. He looks like he is demanding to be addressed as ‘Emperor Pheasant’.
Enjoyed the series of goats. Good to hear they are friendly, and let you get close enough for some good photos.
That waterfall in Yosemite must be very full with water since our rain this year has finally pulled California out of the official drought. I haven’t been to Yosemite in years, but it was always a favorite place… although the years I went were much less crowded than these days.
It seems that you are right about the amount of water in the falls. People remarked on it.
Lovely goats. The pheasant looks to be on the point of detonation.
National Savings get round the postal problem by not sending me any winnings.
They are not spending a lot on my postage either.
🙂
There is nothing to beat putting the world to rights in the company of friends! You are so fortunate to have wild goats living so near you.
We appreciate it when they come down to the road and pose which is not very often.
Darling goats!
IMhave confidence that you have the right ideas to put the world to rights.
Although I do not type very well on my iPad. Which I mainly use as a blog reading device as it shows off your photos a treat.