Amazing. It’s that time again.ColoradoGullfoss, Iceland.Balvenie Castle, Dufftown.The first iceberg of the year in Newfoundland.Munguin’s relatives.OspreyReminds me of my childhood dog, Mac. Look, look, look to the rainbow.Sunrise in the Sahara. My friend, Eileen, got out of bed at 4 am to get this for you. Be grateful!!Someone’s mum is her best friend.Awww… who’s cute then?Erm… me?Grouse have a tendency to look rather superior, don’t they?A rather tame sheep we found in Fife.An old fencing post in Backmuir Woods, Muirhead, that someone leaves gifts on. An ancient tradition started by us. If anyone says anything about mint sauce Munguin will be displeased.So, you lot, don’t you wish you had a swing like this?Skara.Skye.
Lovey pictures and captions! Old castles are always a winner. Amazing picture of the iceberg! I’m surprised they’re allowed to come ashore like that. 😉
brilliant stuff – weren’t those lambs gorgeous. The mini-mes were cool too. I’ve been to one of the places – I think that’s the first time ever for me and SS. So salute to Balvenie Castle. And yes little one I do wish I’d a swing like that.
I hate to see orangs (or other animals) removed from their natural environment, but when they HAVE to be, I love it that there are good people who dedicate their lives to bringing them up as well as they can.
Oh thanks for the idea and the offer of your services as a photographer. Munguin says he’d better go do it himself though, because he wouldn’t want you to get heat stroke.
It’s amazing to think that not so long ago you had to go to protected sights to see heavily guarded Ospreys nests. Other locations were kept secret and watched to protect the eggs from collectors. I remember first seeing ospreys on a school trip to Loch Garten in the 70s. Nowadays I’ve see them all over the place from Loch Awe to Lochore Meadows and I think it’s really great. There are now Peregrines to be seen within walking distance of my house and I have a regular Sparrowhalk visit to my bird feeders. (Not for the seed you understand). Buzzard populations have increased and I’ve seen the occasional Merlin in my local forest. There are rumours of Goshawks but I’ve not seen them yet. This is all down to conservationists and ordinary folk getting laws, practices and attitudes changed through education. There does seem to be a problem with Kestrel populations though and I hope this is just a temporary blip.
It’s good to know that not everything is going downhill.
I had a sparrow hawk in the back garden the other day.
I’ve got quite a collection at the feeders and tables… blackbirds, sparrows, various tits, chaffinches, sparrows , pigeons and collared doves and a robin.
Seagulls visit occasionally too, and the odd magpie, especially when the birds are nesting.
A lot of the birds are fairly tame as long as I’m the only one in the garden. They come and tell me when their food has run out. And being me, and a bit batty, I get up and make sure that they have some food.
Anyway, I was talki9ng to Bertie teh Blackbird, and there were a lot of the others around, and suddenly with a loud squawk, he and the other birds took off at great speed. I looked up and saw the distinctive shape of the wings.
I know they have to eat too but I hope they spare my wee mates. It wouldn’t be the same without Bertie and Mabel…
Just think of it as an inclusive bird table. The magpies and also the jackdaws (if you have them and you probably do) are a bigger threat to Bertie and Mabel and their kids than the sparrow hawk will ever be.
Yep, I watch out for them once the nests are done, eggs hatched and the babies are feeding. The magpies wrecked one a couple of years ago and went off with the chicks. I’ve been able to discourage them a few times since, but I’m not always there.
Mable is the tamest of the all. She (or rather her ancestor) once came town and sat on the top of the water barrel about a foot from me, and a couple of feet from my neighbour, in order to inform me that the sultanas had run out, and could I get some more!
‘Mac’ is the spitting image of my pee-happy puppy who takes great delight in winding me up! There is a smaller version of the Gulfoss river near Amhuinnsuidhe Castle in Harris. The name suggests that people used too sit in he river to freshen up after days on the hills chasing deer and sheep. I’m told my great great grand-father was the master mason responsible for building the castle. We Brownlie’s have been around a long time and as a main-lander he was responsible for our non-Hebridean name.
MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
Lovey pictures and captions! Old castles are always a winner. Amazing picture of the iceberg! I’m surprised they’re allowed to come ashore like that. 😉
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They certainly wouldn’t be allowed in May’s UK. Trump would let them in though, they’re white…
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Ha ha… I hadn’t thought of that.
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Immigrants from Greenland. If that was the USA, the Orange One would have them removed by presidential decree.
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😀
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Beautiful……..There is nothing more important than this.
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After all the huffing and puffing all week, it does centre the mind, doesn’t it?
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brilliant stuff – weren’t those lambs gorgeous. The mini-mes were cool too. I’ve been to one of the places – I think that’s the first time ever for me and SS. So salute to Balvenie Castle. And yes little one I do wish I’d a swing like that.
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LOL. We had to cross paths sometime.
I hate to see orangs (or other animals) removed from their natural environment, but when they HAVE to be, I love it that there are good people who dedicate their lives to bringing them up as well as they can.
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You should do something on the elephant hospital in Thailand. I’d volunteer to go and take photos, if you give me the fare…
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Oh thanks for the idea and the offer of your services as a photographer. Munguin says he’d better go do it himself though, because he wouldn’t want you to get heat stroke.
Lampang Elephant Hospital. On y va.
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It’s amazing to think that not so long ago you had to go to protected sights to see heavily guarded Ospreys nests. Other locations were kept secret and watched to protect the eggs from collectors. I remember first seeing ospreys on a school trip to Loch Garten in the 70s. Nowadays I’ve see them all over the place from Loch Awe to Lochore Meadows and I think it’s really great. There are now Peregrines to be seen within walking distance of my house and I have a regular Sparrowhalk visit to my bird feeders. (Not for the seed you understand). Buzzard populations have increased and I’ve seen the occasional Merlin in my local forest. There are rumours of Goshawks but I’ve not seen them yet. This is all down to conservationists and ordinary folk getting laws, practices and attitudes changed through education. There does seem to be a problem with Kestrel populations though and I hope this is just a temporary blip.
It’s good to know that not everything is going downhill.
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Ye, Dave. It’s great news.
I had a sparrow hawk in the back garden the other day.
I’ve got quite a collection at the feeders and tables… blackbirds, sparrows, various tits, chaffinches, sparrows , pigeons and collared doves and a robin.
Seagulls visit occasionally too, and the odd magpie, especially when the birds are nesting.
A lot of the birds are fairly tame as long as I’m the only one in the garden. They come and tell me when their food has run out. And being me, and a bit batty, I get up and make sure that they have some food.
Anyway, I was talki9ng to Bertie teh Blackbird, and there were a lot of the others around, and suddenly with a loud squawk, he and the other birds took off at great speed. I looked up and saw the distinctive shape of the wings.
I know they have to eat too but I hope they spare my wee mates. It wouldn’t be the same without Bertie and Mabel…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just think of it as an inclusive bird table. The magpies and also the jackdaws (if you have them and you probably do) are a bigger threat to Bertie and Mabel and their kids than the sparrow hawk will ever be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, I watch out for them once the nests are done, eggs hatched and the babies are feeding. The magpies wrecked one a couple of years ago and went off with the chicks. I’ve been able to discourage them a few times since, but I’m not always there.
Mable is the tamest of the all. She (or rather her ancestor) once came town and sat on the top of the water barrel about a foot from me, and a couple of feet from my neighbour, in order to inform me that the sultanas had run out, and could I get some more!
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Just what the doctor ordered!
Two doses of delightful photographs as an antidote
🙂
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Maybe we should put it on prescription?
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‘Mac’ is the spitting image of my pee-happy puppy who takes great delight in winding me up! There is a smaller version of the Gulfoss river near Amhuinnsuidhe Castle in Harris. The name suggests that people used too sit in he river to freshen up after days on the hills chasing deer and sheep. I’m told my great great grand-father was the master mason responsible for building the castle. We Brownlie’s have been around a long time and as a main-lander he was responsible for our non-Hebridean name.
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Puppies’ raison d’etre is winding folk up… and peeing.
That’s some castle there…
http://www.celticcastles.com/castles/amhuinnsuidhe/
He was some builder yer great great grandfather, even if he wasn’t an islander.
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