Crested Tit in the Cairngorms

Yes, we finally saw one on the last day of our spring visit to the Cairngorms. He only payed two visits to our feeding station but that was enough to get a couple of shots.

Loch an Eilean.

    For our first trip of 2014 we headed north up the A9 to Aviemore. This is Loch an Eilein ( Loch of the island) with its ruined 15th century castle in the far distance. 
    The castle is said to have once been the property of Alexander Stewart the wolf of Badenoch.The Jacobites, retreating from Cromdale in 1690, besieged the castle, which was held by Dame Grizel Mor Grant, widow of the fifth laird Grant. At this time the castle was connected to the shore by a causeway. The causeway was lost when the water level in the loch was raised in the 18th century. 
     When ospreys were driven to extinction by the Victorians, the island castle was the site of one of the last eyries. Unfortunately, although ospreys have returned to Scotland, they have not recolonised their old nesting site here


 

Bailey Meets the Four "" Clock Club

Bailey gets a rub down after his first meeting with the Four "0"clock club.

And Bailey Makes Six

Bailey is the newest addition to the Pigula household, he is a four month old Labradoodle and he really enjoyed his first trip to the seaside.

The Organ in the Lady Chapel - Liverpool Catherdral

A return trip to Liverpool Cathedral, this was taken in the Lady Chapel like last year picture but this time I took a little more time time to look around more. This is the view if you turnaround at the alter and look back at the magnificent organ which I never saw last time. The organ was built by Henry Willis and Sons and is regularly used for worship, for weddings and for funeral services (subject to Archbishop of Canterbury's limitations and conditions).

Jaguar

A trip to the South Lakes Wildlife Park this week, it's a great place if you are a Lemur but not great if you are a big cat.

RSPB Burton Mere & Parkgate

A trip to the Wirral just in time for the predicted very high tide at 2.10pm, except the wind was in the wrong direction so it never happened. We saw lots of birds at a long distance including some Redshanks and a Little Stint and our first ever Water Rail at the Burton Mere Visitor center being chased by a grumpy Waterhen.