The view and a walk by the river

The sky was blue and even though there was a cold north east wind blowing, I decided it was time I went out for a walk down to the river at the bottom of our fields.  I've posted this photograph of the flying ducks (just like the little ornaments your gran had on the wall) as it is my favourite photograph from today.  I took my DSLR today and was glad that I did, the compact is great and nice and light to carry but you don't get this kind of shot with a compact!

More ducks, they were all swimming about at the edge of the river, but took off when they noticed me.  I think they are more used to a different kind of shooting and are wary of people.

Here they are minding their own business until I pitched up!

And here are the sheep, studiously ignoring me  in favour of a bit of autumn grazing.   I love that tree, it is such good shape, proper tree shape, if you know what I mean.

And here is The View in November.  I had to take it from the back kitchen window rather than from upstairs as we are using that room as a bedroom at the moment as we have had to evacuate our bedroom due to dry rot, it's a long story and the work won't be compelted until February.  Anyway, my dressing table is in front of the window so I can't get close enough to take my usual View photo. 

It was pretty frosty yesterday morning, the first time we have had a white frost this autumn, later it turned out to be a horrible wet, windy day.

Blair Castle Part Two - The Ducks!

Yes, we are still at Blair Castle, this is the stately pile itself, home to the 11th Duke of Atholl, who actually lives in South Africa. The 10th Duke had no children so the estate passed to his cousin.

One of the highlights of our visit to Blair Castle was the Hercules Garden, I showed you the swans in the previous post and there are more birds to see this this post, but first a little of the garden itself.

 This is Hercules looking down on his garden

 and here is what he can see!

The bridge and lily pond

Brian on the bridge

Mama Duck was in the grass with her little ducklings

"Look at me, I'm so cute!"

Mr Drake & his reflection

Mrs Duck & her wake

Scruffy Duck heads for a bath

Meanwhile over in the bull rushes....

the water was bubbling like a cauldron - eek!  A closer look and we realised that the bubbling water was actually TADPOLES!!!  It's a long time since I've seen tadpoles and never in such quantities.

Mmmmm tadpoles for lunch...

Don't worry there were plenty left when she had finished.

We sat down on a bench for me to change the lenses on my camera and were spotted by this little lady.

Well hello...sorry no food for you.

Hrrumph, I don't know what things are coming to, can't get quality tourists nowadays.

These two weren't very impressed either!

Found some photos I forgot to blog

I took these just after New Year, when I went looking for the wild ducks in our flooded bit of swamp. The ducks flew off as soon as I went near, so I had to make do with some rather wet looking pictures. The one above is my tree and this one will be going in the digi journal I am going to make of the tree over the year.

This is the back of the willow patch that grows along with the reeds in the field next to the house known as 'the side o' the hoose' field - we are nothing if not literal!

This is the side we see from the house, another lovely tree in the background, it's a Scots Pine and we have had buzzards nesting in it in the past. As well as the ducks we have a pair of herons which frequent this flooded bit of land and one year there was a baby. It's like living in your own wildlife sanctuary.