Three for Breakfast

Sunday morning breakfast is a leisurely affair in the Cookson household. I nip out for the newspapers while Margaret gets to grips with the coffee and toast, we then munch and slurp our way through the "cuisine" as we catch up with all the scandal and goings on of the past week.
We are broadly of the same political divide, but do have our own opposing views on certain matters, these are aired as if at PMs question time in adversarial fashion.
Throughout this ritual half an eye is on the silver birch in case the gold crest (our favorite visitor) decides to put in an appearance.
Our conversation was going like this......
"I hope this coalition works, its more in keeping with the wishes of the people, rather than being dictated to by a landslide government" said I.
"Don't be daft, the country needs to be steered not left blowing in the wind" was my dearest retort.
"Dinosaur politics, what we need...............
"Fox"!!!
"What"?
"Fox"!!!
"Where"?
"Fox on the lawn"!!!
Indeed there was a fox on the lawn, calmly collecting the birds bread before skulking off with its booty.
Margaret cut some more bread and quartered an apple while I dashed for the camera.
I replenished the stock of food on the lawn and within five minutes the fox returned and collected a mouthful bread and apple before departing under the rhododendron bush. I suspect it had brought a cub or two such was it's comings and goings and the time is about right. A few years back during the summer we had four foxes running around the garden in the twilight hours. Lets hope for the same again, but ten in the morning will do very well indeed.

A Witch of a Hill

Over the years I have climbed most every Fell in the Lake District, quite a number of mountains in Scotland and Wales and walked every predominant long distant footpath in the British Isles and Ireland. But alas the years have taken their toll on my on my weary limbs. Things now have to be planed in short stages, preferably flat stages.
Therefore an attack on Pendle Hill a mere 1800 ft above sea level becomes a major expedition. Should I make the assent in two or three stages setting up camps along the way, indeed, would I need to bivouac overnight? - then their would be supplies, Sherpas, Yaks - Oh my God I'm going to need sponsorship!!!
Well I exaggerate of course, but I would have to psyche myself up no end, take my time and make many stops on the way up to catch my breath.
The decision made, "I went for it" on Friday. I parked up beside the colossus, put on my boots, slung on my rucksack and with the sun on my back I boldly strode forth. I was transported back in time and suddenly remembered what pleasure this trekking business gave me, but it was short lived. My knees and ankles ached and my lungs felt as they were going to bust, but with measured pace "dead slow" I made it to the top. What a feeling, body and soul rejuvenated, it was almost as good as topping out on Ben Nevis - well almost!!!
And what was all this endeavour for?
To get a snap of this Dotterel.

A Couple of Shots from North Berwick

A Cormorant flies past the harbour on a dead calm sea.


Female Eider battles against the choppy sea.


Pied Wagtail feeding close to it's nest site on the harbour wall


The Scottish Seabird Center before sunrise

As A Matter of Interest

Here I show a picture of an Eider Duck taken in the early evening on West Beach in North Berwick and a Mallard nesting indoors in a garden center in Morpeth.
Forty miles down the coast from North Berwick lies Seahouses the gateway to the Farne Islands, not only that, it must also be the Eider Duck capital of the world. I have been going there for the past eighteen years or so and I'm so use the the little darlings (although, they can be quite vicious at times) coming to the shore line when they see people, as they associate people with food. In North Berwick however they act completely different, the slightest movement towards them and they scoot off into the sea.
Mallards occupy every park with a pond in Britain, here again shelter and food are the predominant factors, but in Coquetdale in Nothumberland they are completely wild, again bob your head up half a mile away and they will spot you and disappear in the opposite direction.
The case is almost the same for Dippers, I say almost, but their is a difference as they don't feed from people being self reliant and wholly dependant on the stretch of river they inhabit, but in most places they shy away from people while in Lathkilldale a popular walking area in Derbyshire they are most confiding.
All these birds are genetically the same, the question is what makes them act so different in their habits?

Early Morning in North Berwick

Sunset over Fidra
The Cottage from West Beach
Another day another sunrise
Bass Rock Sunrise

Isle of May can just be made out on the horizon
A two week break was divided, a week in the Scottish coastal town of North Berwick and a week in our beloved peaceful hamlet of Alwinton in Northumberland.
North Berwick is a place we have often visited on day trips when we have been holidaying in Northumberland and has always been on my wish list as a place to stay for a few days. We chose a renovated fisherman's cottage set right in the confines of the busy harbour. It sounded idyllic and we were not to be disappointed, the views from the lounge looked directly down onto the West Beach, accompanied each evening with stunning sunsets. From the bedroom and kitchen we overlooked the East Beach dominated by Bass Rock and an equally impressive array of sunrises.
Each morning my eyelids were prised open by the orange glow of light that filled the room as if a flower welcoming a new day. I couldn't resist getting up and taking a peek behind the curtains....WOW, it was simply an astonishing sight with the flag poles of the Seabird Center and the plum pudding Bass Rock silhouetted against the ever changing hues of the morning dawn....natures theater.
I couldn't resist, I slipped my fleece on over my pajamas, picked up my camera and a couple of lenses, and ventured out into the cold morning air, thirty seconds later at 5.30am I stood on East Beach quite alone, save for a dozen or so Eiders huddled up in the corner of the sea wall and a few Herring Gulls gilding around, occasionally they would call out breaking the deafening silence...magic.
Reflections from the dead calm paddling pool, a concrete barrier that traps the incoming tidal water formed a mirror image of a dramatic sky. I took image after image including the sunrise which rose to the right of Bass Rock at 6.08am.
I returned to the cottage only to change my lens to the 500mm and headed straight back out past the harbour and onto the rocks past the Seabird Center gabbing some flight shots of passing Gannets, Shags, Cormorants and Eiders, all where a bit distant but it didn't matter it was great to be out on such a glorious morning. Suddenly I felt chilly and hungry and decided to return for breakfast... goodness me it was 9.30 people were by this time knocking about, dog walkers, the milk man, a few tourist and me in my pajamas.

Passing Through

Early morning surprise a Chiffchaff passed through my garden. Needless to say my coffee went cold.

The Wigan Otter or why I should have gone to Specsavers

A brief foray down to my local river Douglas "the Dougie" as we call it in "WIGIN", revealed the first Sand Martins of the year and the wonderful sight of a pair of Kingfishers darting upstream. A female Goosander drew me down to the river bank, but she sailed away in the direction of the Kingfishers. Maybe, I thought, if I sit and wait she will return and I will get a really good low angle shot and you never know the Kingfishers may return.
Well I waited for a while and was just about to give up, when, I noticed an object approaching, dead center of the river, a head sticking up and leaving a wake in its trail.
Bloody Hell, it can't be, it is, its an Otter!!!! - How far away is it? (Peter Kay Joke)Its only small but what else can it be
Well it approached closer and closer, strange thing was it never got any bigger. Then it was level with me. Bloody Hell Should have gone to Specsavers!!!!