Saw the forecast and realised our old home would be getting snow, but over here on the West Coast snow is a fairly rare event , because of the Gulf Stream etc. As you will see the higher hills got an icing sugar coating of snow, but none with us. What I wasn’t expecting was this very cold snap we are experiencing. Three nights running we have been down to minus five C and last night went down to just below minus six, so fairly nippy.
20th.
The dusting on our hills.
One thing with such cold weather is the clear skies and sunshine, though not much heat in the low sun for this female Blackbird.
My feet would be frozen standing on the frosty fence, but it seems nothing to this Robin.
.A Boeing Globemaster from the R.AF. Brize Norton airfield coming in to land at Prestwick Airport just 3500 feet above us, it stayed on the ground at Prestwick for about ten minutes, waited for an Airbus A400M to touch and take off (also from Brize Norton) and followed it home. Missed the A400 but captured the Globemaster as it flew a bit further West of us on the return journey (below).
22nd.
Two days after the cold snap and we are back into the wet weather, still went for a walk in the “muzzle” (mist and drizzle combined) .
Before we got out the door the male Blackbird was sitting on the fence where the Robin was in a previous shot and just like our last house the Blackbirds are knowing that if they sit there long enough pleading hunger, one of us will throw out a handful of sultanas to keep them going. At the moment it is only one male and two of his females, know doubt word will get around over winter and their mates will learn the trick as well.
On the walk today was a massive black Highland Bull and it is really a fine specimen, stood there in the rain trying to persuade it to turn and show it’s face in all it’s splendour, but would not have it at all. Another challenge for me to achieve.
Just to show what a horrid day it was looking out over the boggy moors towards the loch with one of the two resident Swans looking on.
24th.
Another challenge for me was walking along the footpath through the Scout garden there runs a burn that eventually joins the River Doon, I have spotted three Dippers on this stretch , but never able to photograph any of them. Today that challenge was defeated.
Okay the grass stems ruin the shots, but they were there so I won’t use post processing to remove them.
A close up of the Dipper, such amazing colour and still droplets of water on the feathers, sat there for about ten seconds before it went under and continued it’s hunt for food .
The return walk takes us past the towns football pitch and I was intrigued to see some activity on the grass with a man following a robot around. It turns out this machine can work out how true and square the soccer pitch is and as the team is up and coming (at present top of their league ) that may be important if they gain promotion. Apparently the pitch is slightly out and this machine will go round with a grass coloured paint and show the groundsman where the white lines should be and they can alter it if they wish.
27th.
Work is starting next week on our streets water system, so the bosses arrived to discuss it , where would we be without mobile phones?
29th
Went over to my son and partners village is across the moors a couple of miles of just sheep and cattle. Though the road is single track a lot of it is a straight and up and down as the shot shows.
Wind farms dominate the hills.
Love this sign.
Heading home the Windmills above our town are in the distance.
30th.
End of the month and we finish it the way we started with a minus four C frost. This my poor old car at ten thirty in the morning still really frozen up. As you can see my driveway does not get the sun first thing so it will still be frozen for at least another hour, but the car on the other side of the road has virtually defrosted in the sunshine. Should not really complain as no real snow to clear as yet, but let us see what next month will bring.