SIGNS OF LIFE

But not as many as there were yesterday before this insufferable laptop decided to delete all my lovely frog and lichen pictures. I'm getting really upset with its life of its own. Time to dig a mouse out of a drawer and deactivate the touch pad. Whether that will solve the problem of hovering over something and it pressing virtual buttons that you don't want to press, I don't know. Anyway, enough grumping. I followed yesterdays footsteps today, but the frogs I had photographed had finished spawning and disappeared today. Not surprising but they are all at it and the spawn is gathering in every available puddle. Some may have to be rescued and moved as some of the puddles will dry out if there's a dry period. This is a fraction of what I saw today:

I haven't seen Betty or any of the other mares and foals for weeks. The occasional little group of vaguely familiar ponies appears for a few days and then goes. Some are in foal but not many. I'm really hoping Betty and the rest of them come back nearer foaling time. They will have to be named by letter rather than number this year so I don't get confused. Here are a couple I saw today a couple of miles away from home:

Eating the lush greens in the stream

My lichen passion had reached the point of searching for a comprehensive tome for identification. Not easy to come by I can tell you. The one I want is ridiculously expensive so I may have to just stick with the on-line sites which are pretty good, but not exactly portable. I'm finding http://www.britishlichens.co.uk/ the best but I haven't done very well with these I saw today (and yesterday!).

I can't identify this one.....time for i-spot

Cladonia Bellidiflora

Cladonia Polydactyla I think

Cladonia PleurotaI I think

Another one for i-spot

Cladonia Pocillum I think

I've been trying to photograph a Dunnock that has been visiting the garden for a few weeks. It kept flying off every time I managed to focus and never comes to the bird 'table'. This picture isn't great but at least I've got it at last. I haven't seen one up here at all until now so I'm really pleased.

These sparrows look like one of those wooden toys with the swinging ball underneath that makes them peck:

And a rather lovely Chaffinch with a mouthful of seedy porridge:

My viola are still flowering: 

And the Columbines are beginning to spring into life:

Snippet enjoyed today - lots of rodents making noises under tussocks of grass: 

I'll leave you with Kestor at sunrise the other frosty morning. awe-inspiring and a reason to get up and out early. Until next time..........