Menoturals; Shore Stories

Sharing with the LLB gang on Nature Friday. 

As I've been static for a few weeks, gathering nature shots has been a bit curtailed. I did rather like the solitary Heron, though...

I was equally enamoured of spotting a Great Black-backed Gull on the shores of Holy Loch... these are the largest of the gull species, and are distinguished from their more populous Lesser Black-backed cousins by their fully black wings, pinkish-blue leg colouring, and overall size. There was nothing here to show the size in context, but trust me, this fellow was standing tall. Sadly, I didn't get a shot in before he decided to collapse his legs and start swimming, so you can't see that bit of him...

... I take that back... if you look to the lower left of the image, you can just see an out-of-focus Redshank. They are not particularly small birds (about the size of a Bantam), but as it is splitting the distance between the Gull and me, you do start to get an inkling of that bird's size! 

Since we are on Gulls (again), here are a pair of Black-headed Gulls who performed a little preening dance in front of the van. These are about two-thirds the size of a Herring Gull and, for most of the year, in fact, only have the black patch behind the eye that you see here. The full hood only flourishes during mating season.

For those who are interested, Gulls are protected by law in the UK - particularly as the Herring Gull is now on the Red (endangered) List, and the Lesser Black-backed is starting to show signs of threat, too. 

Now here's a beauty shot just to round the post off... oh, and a reminder that next week is final Friday already!!!

Menosonal; Seasons, They Will Change

August and into September spent almost entirely in The Grey on Dunoon's shoreline. I did visit The Hutch for laundry, showers, mail checks, but I just so love being in my van! I have to say that as early as August, there were signs of autumn already encroaching...

... not to mention all the berries that were already abundant. Particularly on the Rowan trees, where they were pretty much all red even before September kicked in. If my grandad were to be believed (and my pal Aitch, for that matter), then snow was on the way! Of course, those leaves turning could be something to do with the incredible heat and much less rain than we're used to getting around here - but those leaves weren't withering from drought; they were properly turning. 

At the end of August, The Cowal Gathering takes place at Dunoon Stadium and town. I tend not to go along to the main events, but I do always enjoy the closing fireworks, and this was the first year in about seven that I can recall when it was actually dry for the display.

That was just a wee taster... took lots and am keeping them for Hogmanay, as I probably won't be at any fireworks gatherings at that time.

As nature would have it, though, the rain promptly arrived about an hour after they'd finished. September, then, has been wet... hey ho. Good weather for hunkering down with the yarn project, some excellent podcasts, a few good viewing binges and generally just keeping myself to myself. 

Menoizikul; Midweek Musicalisms

For the third Holst lesser-known items, I bring you the St Paul's Suite. This has the opus number of 29. The Planets was Opus 32... and in this one you can definitely hear the precursor to that later work. Some frenetic, dancing parts, light and dark, softness to still the whole piece, then back to full majesty... and always that underlying lyrical pull...