Still full of Eastern promise?

The Safari was out horribly early this morning. First up was to check the moth situation...another White Ermine, this time settled far enough away from ant of its eight legged 'friends'.

This is one of the natural habitats of Land Rovers...or should that be Landed Rovers...???

The river has drropped a bit and our grounds have a low weir - just right for spotting any jumping (Atlantic) Salmon - not thet we can afford to fish for them...wouldn't mind getting a pic though if there is a spring run up this river.

We were told that the river has an/some Otter(s) living along this stretch. Always worth a look out for signs as well as the animals themselves. On this occassion all we had to do was followed Frank's nose - he found a blob of spraint on the rock step of one of the minor gullies that run into the main river. A little further along the bank we got a very poor pic of the Sedge Warbler. The little blighter is very nervous of people nearby. It's the pale patch near the middle.

back at temporary Base Camp we have found an old nut bag and filled it with bird-seed from the not-so-local general store. A Nuthatch had been seen lurking about while it was empty but since it has been filled a pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers have been taking full advantage.

Later in the day we had a trip out to the coast again; this time to a beach with some rock pools to ivestigate. Plenty of Common Periwinkles on the rocks, not something we see many of back on our bit of coast but there are a few to be found. Similarly Dog Whelks are present but generally hard to find.

Back home Beadlet Anemones have recently colonised, here they are abundant and in the shallow crystal clear water are easier to photgraph than in our deep and dark, but still crystal clear, artificial rockpools.

Not sure if this is another species of anemone, perhaps a Dahlia Anemone, look at that lurid pink colour, is it significant.

In the backing dunes we found this species of Cranesbill, Woody Cranesbill perhaps? Anyone know the correct identity.

A wander round the estate after our excursion found the Roe Deer out in the early evening, but still no nearer.
Where to next? With the wind having dropped at last the moth trap will be on tonight again and tomorrow we might well be reporting on a nautical safari.

In the meantime let us know if all is carrying on as normnal in your outback.

More from the other coast

The Safari was out on the estate early doors this morning and it was still triple windy! Yesterday the Safari wasn't sure if we saw a Red Squirrel dart up and round the back of a huge Large Leaved Lime tree. A chat with one of the estate's staff told us there were some about but there are also a few Grey Squirrels too which they are trying to keep from getting a toehold on the estate which is in an area where there is still a healthy population of Reds.

Also on the estate are Badgers, (be nice to see one of those as its ages since we saw a live one and there are plenty of roadkills up this way) and Roe Deer, one of which we saw eating the profits this morning.

Our walk took us down to the river again and we found a species we expected to find sooner or later, Goosander (177). There were five of them all of which except one flew up fiver and out of range. The other floated past at speed downstream.

Hidden away in the riverside vegetation wasa singing Sedge Warbler that occassionaly set off on song flights out over the river but wouldn't settle back on a picable perch.

Back at the digs the groundsman was collecting last night's windfall with his brilliant little red Fergy - we learned to drive on one of these and have a real soft spot for them - rubbish compared to a modern tractor but they just have so much more character about them or iss that the notalgia talking? In the old days our fields were full of Lapwings and Skylarks and on these tractors we could lift the gear oveer the nests as we could see them in frint of us...so many more nests and young survived...then we sprayed them with DDT...not so nice!!!

After a bit of brekkie it was off to the cliffs at St Abb's and having never been before we were impressed, fantastic scenery.

The white patch isn't pale rock it's been 'painted' by Guillemots.

Another year bird in the form of a Fulmar (178) drifted round the far end of the cliffs.
Down at base of the cliffs a few Razorbills and Shags hung around the rocks.

The weather tuned for the worst giving dramatic cliffscapes over the harbour of St Abb's and we headed quickly back to the car via the tea-rooms!

Taknig a chance with the squalls we set off north deeper into Scotland to check out a beach area we'd been recommended not far past the nuclear power station! However, despite following the map to Scotland's Geology Trail we couldn't get there as the road was blocked with about 1000 tons of gravel and a sign saying No Access as a quarry had set up operations there - and this was the only road in and out, there is/was no other access by car - b*gger!!!

Then the clouds burst so it was back to temporary Base Camp.

Where to next? Will the weather improve, will we head south back in to England? In the meantime let us know how heavy the rain is in your outback.

Meanwhile...on the coast

The Safari ended up at the coast where we had a few Sandwich Terns and a couple of Gannets some low over the water.

Some were circling higher, and eventually from a handful in from the sea came a further fifty of more to feed on a shoal of fish trapped between the falling tide and a sanbank.

The activity became intense - maybe just a little too far offshore for decent pics bit we filled our boots anyway.

Still they were a whole heap closer than they ever get off the Fylde coast where they are usually tiny white dots in the scope.

Where to next? Could be anywhere, very much depends on the weather which at the time of writing is getting even windier...yikes.

In the meantime let us know what's plummeting to earth in your outback - could be whole trees overnight here

Wld and windy

The Safari put the moth trap on last night and only got one moth despite the great habitat around, a White Ermine which became a spider's breakfast - oops, that wasn't supposed to happen.

A more concerted effort with the wildflowers gave us Leopardsbane

Green Alkanet

The lane outside the house has a crackin verge, on the 'other' side...why can't the verges back in the Fylde be left to develop like that instead of being flailed and sprayed to keep them tidy? The hedgrows are cut better too, on an angle but still a little short.

Along the drive to the Big House we found thia rather large bracket fungus growing out of a damaged Beech limb. Not the best of shots but anyone got anyideas?

Forget-me-nots abounded hidden amongst the taller Bluebells. There are several species and this is the most common whose name we totally forget...duhhhh

A break in the torrential rain allowed a brief excursion into the local counrtyside where we found a field of Highland Cattle, aka Wooly Bullys, not that they do a lot of bullying, they're usually very gentle.

The kids are cute too.

We were able to fit in a visit to the seaside too - about which more later. Where to next? More info on our coastal visit.

In the meantime hang fire we'll be back in a bit.