It’s been a very mixed week weather wise. Frost, sunshine, snow, wind and rain. GRAHAM has better pictures though his were taken miles away in the Atlantic. 
Molly thinks spring has arrived, she is looking for frogs. I doubt there were any but she paddles in freezing water to check. I don’t know what inspired her but maybe she saw the…….
Snowdrops. The first of the year up here.
They are much prettier the wrong way up.
Tuesday morning whilst wandering the shore of Loch Ness I noticed something in the water.
I managed to get the dogs to sit and eventually this buck Roe Deer staggered ashore. The poor thing was exhausted and could only manage a few steps before falling over. I checked to make sure it hadn’t been hit by a car and then went to fetch Ally the Gillie to put it out of it’s misery. We arrived back by this old roadman's hut and searched for a good half hour but there was no sign of it. I thought it must have gone back in the water as the dogs couldn’t find it either. It is a sad end as I found it this morning. It had back tracked and was dead in the scrubby bushes about quarter of a mile away. Deer need culling and I’m not at all squeamish, in fact I was looking forward to a bit of it for tea. I do feel responsible when I think how long it took to die. We ought to have looked harder but it was snowing hard and windy. Poor thing.
Plenty of snow on Tuesday morning but by late afternoon most of it had been washed away by the rain.
Happy again………The first rays of sunlight hitting Meall Dubh. I haven’t changed my desktop background for fifteen months but I like this and as it’s predominantly grey it shows the icons off a treat.
I have a few avian images for tomorrow and if I can persuade Donald to put the dead deer out in the fields behind the campsite then I may get and Eagle or Buzzard having a meal. He isn’t keen on the idea having being woken at four thirty last summer by a camper reporting a dead badger. He did put a note after his phone number explaining that dead rabbits, badgers or pigeons were not an emergency. His wife made him remove it.
Wouldn't feel to bad about not finding the deer. You were with a gillie and if he couldn't find it then no one would. Although sadly culling is an needed in some regions personally I'd like to see some missing predator to help out. Yellowstone did it and it worked a treat. Still can't believe that the snow is still quite thick
ReplyDeleteDouglas, yes it would be good to have a pack of wolves. I'm surprised the dogs didn't find it. He had a spaniel and my two are usually quick to find deer. No snow now....It comes and goes at this time of year.
DeleteAdriaan what have you done your best good but nature is nature and there you really do nothing aan.maar where do you get the snow ?? we just rain.
ReplyDeleteBas, yes but it was a slow death. It is rain here now.
DeleteMy Molly is getting a little too old to be hopping in the river, the poor dear. Loved your shots. Hugs to Mol and Alf.
ReplyDeleteR.Mac, it is frogs that tempt her. She doesn't bite them, she just stares at them and if they are on land pushes them with her nose to make them hop. Toads are no good as they just crawl.
DeleteI've not seen snowdrops before. The green edging on the underside is lovely.
ReplyDeleteJoanne, along with Winter Aconite they are the first of the flowers here. They are a grand sight.
DeleteSad about the deer- I wonder what happened to it. Molly is a brave one, wading into ice cold water like that! Have a super day!
ReplyDeleteTerri, it died. The Loch water is near freezing.
DeleteAn excellent choice for your desktop background.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many swimming deer have been called Nessie?
John, it is a reminder of a good time of year.
DeleteI wondered too. People see what they want to see.
Wonderful pictures--- sad story.
ReplyDeleteBill, yes very sad.
DeleteSad end to the Deer but on the plus side I think you have some images there worthy of continuing the Loch Ness monster myth!
ReplyDeleteAdam, the monster is a myth that I don't want to encourage.
DeleteLovely images Adrian. I have rather a few of your posts to catch up on!
ReplyDeleteKate, there is no rush.
DeleteDid you kiss your goat today Sarah Miller?
ReplyDeleteI haven't got a goat.
DeleteYou have a great variety in weather with your snow and melting. Here the deer are good swimmers but they don't normally swim. They will swim to escape predators so I'm surprised this one died.
ReplyDeleteRed, they are a bit thin at the end of winter and the water is very cold.
DeleteSo The Loch Ness Monster was a roe deer all along? As Victor Meldrew might have said - I don't believe it!
ReplyDeleteYP, it's starting to look that way.
DeleteA valiant effort by the deer to get to land; it quite possibly died from hypothermia, do you think? The deer is now memorialized thanks to your photos. Your snow photos are terrific, especially that last one! Snowdrop innards are so pretty ~ many have green hearts! Yours looks like it's ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
ReplyDeleteGlo, they are excellent swimmers but it was exhausted. I was surprised it got as far as it did.
DeleteThe Snowdrops are wonderful. Heavy rain here so I may have a much closer look at them.
Sad story. But this is life. You did your best Adrian. The pictures with the sniw are breathtaking. Love them.
ReplyDeleteRaffaela, it would have been better to find eat but not to worry.
ReplyDeleteWell you've hit my jackpot with this little lot. My enthusiasm helped by the fact that I had to wait most of the morning for the pics to load. I've never noticed the green on the inner petals (?) before. When this storm abates I may venture outside to have a look at mine.
ReplyDeleteGraham, it is a bit wild but Sunday morning is looking better.
DeleteMy images are quite large but few are more than 450KB. Sorry about that. I think all Snowdrops have green bits inside. I turned it over expecting to see them but I may have been thinking of something else.
Preciosa, Adrian. la ultiima es de una gran belleza.
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
Gracias Jordi.
DeleteNo te sientas culpable por el ciervo. Hiciste lo que podías.
ReplyDeleteBuen baño se dio Molly. Preciosa la última foto Adrian.
Buen fin de semana.
Un abrazo.
Laura, yo camino en todo tipo de clima. Debería haber caminado más de los ciervos.
DeleteMolly es un poco tonto.
Me gusta la última imagen; usted tiene un buen fin de semana.
Beautiful snowdrops (my favourite flowers). But I do prefer the the conventional way up.
ReplyDeleteFrances, I'll pop one on a front surfaced mirror then we can see the best of both worlds. I think the floods will have washed these away but I'll find some more.
Delete