Hi folks, I’m back from a successful, if somewhat damp, bird-watching trip. I’ll post a couple of photographs once they are all downloaded. Meanwhile, we had a visitor to our own bird table at home this morning. Apologies for the slight blurring, but I was taking these with the big lens hand-held and I’m not as steady as I once was. You’ll note how different the colour seems depending on the magnification and angle of the shot – it is the same animal each time.

I’ll be out of communication for a few days, but before I go I’ll leave you with one last picture from the top of Brown Carrick Hills – this time looking eastwards. It might not be immediately obvious, but there is a deep wide valley in the near foreground.

Taken from the same spot as the last two photographs, these two serve to show the extent of Ayr Bay and the Firth of Clyde.

The first is a little to the west of Ayr and shows the coast line up through Irvine and beyond up to the Cumbraes.

The second is even further west looking over towards Arran.

Taken from the same spot as yesterday, two forms of transport of quite different speeds.

The aircraft is a Ryanair jet, one of the low-cost airlines which have come to the fore recently. How low-cost is a matter of conjecture since everything ‘extra’ is an added cost. The latest humorous comment on Ryanair is they are about to charge for “emotional baggage” as well.

Today’s photograph was taken from the top of the Brown Carrick hills overlooking Ayr Bay. The centre of the photograph is Wellington Square and the Sheriff Court just beyond the Low Green in Ayr.

In the background is Prestwick Airport.

Whilst I was looking through my older photographs for yesterday’s item, I found others I thought might be of interest. I’ll post these on an occasional basis.

This one from 2005 was taken at the North-West of Arran, on the hills just above Locharanza, and includes the departure of the Cal-Mac ferry, the Loch Tarbert, from Lochranza to Clonaig. The view is over the junction of the Kilbrannan Sound and the Sound of Bute, looking up Loch Fyne.

I’m reduced to posting an old photograph today – I’ve been somewhat busy and haven’t quite got round to taking any shots lately.

I thought I’d post a closer one I took of the Straiton Monument several years ago on a wintry day.

I had thought that an observation hide was meant to
1. hide you from the birds you were observing and
2. hide, at least to some degree, itself from the birds as well.

You’ll see from this photograph that it isn’t the case here. There are some neatly camouflaged low hides at Caerlaverock, but also a couple of towers like this one.

A larger selection of birds this time. You’ll see Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Mallards (male and female), Wigeons and, of course, Feral Pigeons – including 2 in flight!.

This time they are wigeons.