Ronas Hill and the Voe

All day the weather has been changing, one minute it has been beautiful sunshine and the next the snow has been pouring down. Luckily, it has refused to lie and has blown away instead, unless of course you lived at the top of Ronas Hill, the highest point here in Shetland at 455m.

I'm standing just outside my house and I took the photo because the snow was still up there on the top of the hill. No doubt it will be gone in a few minutes, along with the sunshine.


It always surprises me to think that in between me and the hill there is the voe. It's about three or four miles away from me so it isn't that far away but the beauty in it is immense.

Just think, at the end of the voe lies the Atlantic Ocean, just waiting to take you to America or Canada, or Iceland if you fancy it.

The robins fly past

Just leaving spring and coming into summer. Consider what a year this is - the start of summer, very often a blue sky and the sun beaming down on us - and then the clouds head in on the wind and the snow arrives ahead. Not what you would expect at this time of year, certainly not what I expect but it's been going on for a day or two now and I'm asking myself how much longer this will go on. Will we actually see summer or will the weather skip by, passing autumn as well and bring in winter before we can blink.

Last year I planted Scots Pine and it was a lovely year but despite all the care and attention they passed away, every single one of them. The Austrian Pine are in this year and really looking good - will they make it, will they survive, will the year-long snow be more natural for them? Hopefully, I'll get the right answer.

And the food for the birds, a small mistake there I here you say. Well, I think that you're right. The sparrows continue to pick at it but that is all they are doing I'm afraid, they pick at it, they play with it and they get bored or hungry and then move on. The robins fly past now, on their way to wherever is more interesting. I'll think about this and do what I can for them.

Perhaps they will stop in passing.

Perhaps Shetland will warm up a little ;))

The birds have disappeared

I can't believe it. When I wrote earlier we had green grass up here - we don't any more. Winter has returned with a vengance and the snow is pouring down, all lovely and clean.

The birds have disappeared, home to bed I suppose and by the look of the sky, it's going to be a long shower. I bet that it's an early night for me tonight.

Good idea to take a flask of tea with me though :))

Summer snow!!!

It's the middle of May and summer has been cancelled. It snowed last night and it snowed again this morning. Not only that but my poor wee birdies are probably frozen but they're still smiling, cheery little chaps that they are ;))

I'll have to check out the feed that I put out for them, though. Not so sure that summer feed is really that appropriate for them in this somewhat wintery weather. They are certainly not eating it quite as quickly as the robins eat the winter feed that I put out first.

It might warm them up a wee bit if the sun comes out though.

Fingers crossed :))

Heartbroken

I'm utterly heartbroken. Utterly, utterly, utterly heartbroken. I was sitting in the living-room, watching two really beautiful robins having lunch on the lawn when suddenly they jumped into the next-door neighbours garden without even saying thank you. Can you believe it?

Well, boo to them. The sun has come out at last so I think that it's time for a can of coke, enjoyed in the sun outside - and they'll have to chase the sparrows before they get any of the grub that's there for them ;))

Bad hair day

It's definitely a bad hair day today.

Woke up at a decent time this morning, seven o'clock or so. Straight down the stairs to get the kettle on - after all, one does what one has to ;)) Computer on immediately and half an hour spent waking up.

Then, first job - print the address on an envelope. It's now quarter past eleven and the envelope job is done. That's not bad, three and a quarter hours to address an envelope.

I do have a form to deal with - thank goodness I can use a pen on this one, safer that way I think.

After that has been done I think that I'll go into the garden and deal with my birds.

Quite amazing how many birds are hanging around a fifty year old guy. Must be the way that I get my hair cut, or not cut, as the case may be :))

Sheep in the back

A couple of sheep in the back of the van. Just lost the name of the person to name so if you spot your photo then please let me know!!!

He's up on top, protecting his food

When I got home tonight I went out and watered the new trees and spotted him on top of the post that holds the bird feeder. He was there for one reason only - to make sure that no other bird could move in and grab the grub. He surprised me by staying on top of his post as I watered the tree that was growing just beside him.

These wee sparrows can be brave little buggers. It's either that or he's just getting used to being around me. They do get to like the folk that feed them.

The sparrows have taken over the world

On Saturday my world was getting on normally and the birds were getting used to me slowly. Now that I'm back, things have changed.

The sparrows seem to have taken over the bird feeder. They are around all the time at the moment so they must be enjoying the food that is out for them. The robins do occasionally stop as they pass by but now they are only visitors, my back garden is a real sparrow house now.

Will it last, who will take over next  - we'll wait and see :))