We both find it hard to believe that we have just entered our second year of living in East Ayrshire and see to be (at last) settling Ito this totally different lifestyle, going from a small hamlet way out in the countryside to sixteen bungalows in a Cul de Sac with busy working people going in and out all day. Plus of course the wildlife is totally different, but by feeding the birds that has improved immensely in just one year.
3rd.
Just to show regular bird visitors to our garden include Goldfinch.
Male Chaffinch.
A Warbler (not going to say which one as I always get it wrong).
A puffed up Sparrow as the mornings are getting colder.
Plus all the House Sparrows mates, virtually on our doorstep eating their morning porridge oats, well it is Scotland what else would you give them for breakfast?
4th.
For the second year running, the Ayr Airshow is on today and tomorrow and though the strong winds prevented one performance of the wing walkers most other acts did a display. Also for the second year running I never went as there are thousands of people go and Ayr is chaotic for driving in and out of. We do here the sound of the Red Arrows aerobatic team in their Hawk jets and the Typhoon doing their thing (and we are at least ten miles as the crow flies from the sea front) but only captured two unusual visitors over us and they are below.
This could be anything as it was so far away by the time I managed to get the camera on it, but it was a North American Harvard according to Flight Radar 24 and was presumably a stunt plane.
A familiar aircraft at our old address but not seen one here, a RAF Chinook, which from photos I have seen put on a good display and also had one static in the show arena.
6th
Out for a walk and I noticed this beastie on the back of the wife’s coat.
On a closer examination discovered it was a Forest Bug or Red Legged Shield Bug.Must have been so hard to name this, as it lives in woodland, has red legs and looks like a shield oh and it is a bug.
10th.
Just when my wife thought her birthday celebrations were over we surprised her with three of her old work mates flew up from Bristol to Glasgow to spend the day with her. Had a wonderful day and took the bus in the afternoon up to the cathedral. Not as good as Carlisle but a very interesting building. Below are some of the shots I took on my phone, it does take some good shots but still think camera shots are better.
As you are aware I love the skill of the crafts person that creates such wonderful structures.
Looking into the church from the entrance, some of you might recognise the lady lighting the candle on the left.
When we came out it was heavy rain so we did not attempt to climb the hill to go around some of the graveyard which has (apparently) some interesting graves.
Went into a very unusual shopping mall of Buchanan Street, never been in there before so beautiful.
13th.
As the first day of Meteorlogical Autumn was the first of this month I thought I should photo some signs of Autumn coming in. So here are a few below. Twenty third of the month is the Astronomical Autumn, take your pick, but with beautiful sunny days like today I think I would rather stay in Summer until the twenty third.
Hawthorn berries becoming nice and ripe, as a child we called the leaves “bread” and their berries “cheese” and would eat them both.
Though a garden plant when all the others are wild I liked the water droplets on the leaves of this Lady’s Mantle.
Rose Bay Willow herb with the leaves or the seeds, in the sunlight made for a great shot.
Love seed heads and sunlight, a great combination.
Common Dock seeds.
Two shots of Creeping Thistle, one still green and the other dying back.
Have not seen the Dippers all summer this was the first of the season for me.
As an added bonus the sun actually kept shinning all afternoon so I ventured out into the garden with my camera as a lot of insects were around, here are some of them.
A Buff Tailed Bee.
Unknown on the Salvia.
A Yellow Dung Fly.
A Cabbage White.
Lastly a Small Tortoiseshell.