BITS AND PIECES 7

For the past few days, despite the forecasters speaking of mini heatwaves, we have been shrouded in mist until just before dusk, when the sky clears for a few hours until the mist descends again. We wake in Autumn, retire in summer again.

The building of the scaffolding tower went well and the gutter is clear, if in need of fixing properly, which is the next task. I'm not going to include a picture of scaffolding so here are the birds who are pretty miffed at having had their feeding station moved, though not as miffed as I was to find half my hardy geraniums dug out so as to accommodate the mighty tower. Hmmm. Most were taken in the mist or rain, hence slight blurriness - sorry.

One of the young Great Tits

If Chaffinches did vanity, this one would be very upset about this picture

I like the raindrops bouncing off her back here

One of the young Blue Tits

A fraction of the Sparrow flock

Seeing off a Chaffinch

That Chaffinch is not scared of Sparrows

My hoop

Foal B - it's been a while since I saw any of those early foals

I remember thinking I would remember this one because of its tiny white hind socks

Fungi have started appearing, not in huge numbers yet, but lovely to see. I have no idea what they are. I wish I did. The only certain one is the second: the ubiquitous Dung Fungus. Nice. 

I spotted some of these lovely red flowering lichen yesterday. They are absolutely TINY. Cladonia Bellidiflora I think.

Yesterday the moor looked like this:

Today, like this:

Much nicer. 

Flying dog:

A tree nearby has fallen over the stream and I was able to get close to the fabulous lichens growing on the twigs and branches.

I'm sitting here cursing as the digital TV signal keeps dropping out as I try and watch the Great British Bake Off. The tea-loaves have gone but I can still hear them talking....no - lost the sound too now. Grrrr. What was wrong with an analogue signal? 

Until next time, here are two pictures I found on a CD which I think you may like. Why did I ever think Snippet was going to be short haired? He was three months old here and had been with us for a week.