NOT HAPPY. (06/02/15)

The weather is warming up but not freezing hard enough at night for interesting ice. I have spent ages plodding thorough snow which varies in depth from a few inches to a few feet. It’s very tiring and to make it feel worse I’m surrounded by inversion fog. It’s worse for the dogs but it does mean they sleep a lot.

Yesterday I walked about three miles whilst hunting for Crossbills and never saw anything other than a Wood Pigeon and a few Chaffinch. Kath was sure we would see them so we kept going. After a couple of hours her husband phoned to say he’d just seen a pair of Ptarmigan at low level just off the old logging track so we detoured to try and find them. No luck and I went again at first light this morning and still saw no sign of them or anything else.

The Crested Tits haven’t been back to the feeders whilst I’ve been watching and the Mallard are very noisy as they spend half their time wrestling.

       Drip, drip it is thawing fast during the day.

       There is a bit of colour as the trees have shed most of their snow blanket. I think a fair proportion of it has landed on me. Fortunately there are few folk about to hear or disapprove of my language. Kath got knocked double and just after she had folded her hood away as she was too hot, it is amazing how heavy it is and though I didn’t learn any new words I did hear them repeated for half an hour as the crystals melted and found new bits of her to chill. It’s funny when someone else gets blathered in wet snow.

    Loch Morlich is starting to thaw.

      A dead Scots Pine and Loch Morlich in the murk.

     This is where I thought Stuart saw the Ptarmigan but it must be the wrong place as they eat heather and burrow and the snow is undisturbed.

       A view down the logging  track; it’s not much of a view but it’s one of the better ones.

     At least the Mallard are colourful. I just wish they could rip bits out of each other quietly.

Have a great weekend. I think the snow will continue to melt but who can tell in this climate.