A Squirrel In The Chicken Coop…

A quiet Sunday and McTufty decided it was time for lunch, which meant time to visit Tulloch.
Because it was quiet, McTufty took a good look around, including going into the Chicken Coop!
McTufty fancied a change for lunch, so wanting a lazy Sunday, opted for ground feeding & Sunflower Hearts instead of Peanuts.
But, McTufty wasn’t the only one!
The Chickens had made the same plans.
A new and unusual friendship was soon formed…

Venturing In …

And Taking A Look Around

Who’d live in a house like this?

Lunch on the ground

McTufty Keeping A Low Profile, Hoping The Chickens Wouldn’t Notice

You’re A Funny Looking Chicken!

Lets Lunch Together & Have a Wee Blether

Time To Say Farewell for Today…

…And With A Swish of the Tail, McTufty Was Gone

Going Through Changes …

Christmas and the eve of New Years Eve has given me some time for reflection, the changes life has brought in 2018 and the changes which lie ahead for 2019.
And Christmas is a quiet affair this time, just doesn’t feel like Christmas to be honest. The absence of my dear Father is probably greater than ever.
Boxing Day Morning, took a phone call from one of our closest friends, who sadly broke the news to me of another old friend who passed away on Christmas Eve, he was just 46 years old, could have knocked me over with a feather and my thoughts are with his family.
2018, I will not be sorry to see you go, though yet I hang onto you, for you are the last time I spoke to Dad.

And there have been other big changes too!
When I hit half a century in August, it was also the start of another new era…
I now have a new camera (Hope you are sitting down), am now shooting with an Olympus! (For those interested – OM-D E-M1 Mark II)

No, I did not think that I would be saying that either, but there you go.
To cut a long story short, I haven’t totally said goodbye to Nikon, have still got one body & lenses, but the D5 & the D800 have gone to new homes.
I was in two minds about all this, but am absolutely loving using The Olympus (McOly), once I got my head around the menu system (Still doing that ha ha), it is a breath of fresh air and a joy to use and you may not realise, but you’ve been looking at Olympus images for the last couple of months now.
I scoffed when my Camera Dealer was prepared to bet me that I would leave Nikon within 6 months, he wasn’t far wrong and am looking forward to shooting more with it.
I will then see what happens when Olympus upgrade & Nikon release the Z8!

Nature has changed this year at Tulloch too, Curlews were drastically down in numbers this time and there are less Deer this season, as yet not the usual amount of visitors round Tulloch Garden, hopefully we will see some once proper winter arrives, just so mild the now.
We are usually so lucky to have thousands of Geese flying over, now they’ve been flying south of Kindrogan summit, with only the odd skein passing over us.
Fieldfares arrived early, then them too absent again.
One solitary Brambling feeding here for 10 days now and one Siskin, who, is a few weeks early.
Pleased to report that some healthy looking Greenfinch have reappeared, though some Chaffinch now seem to be carrying a similar illness to Trichomonosis and here is some Info from BTO
Christmas Day afternoon, about dusk, feeding & bedding up the Tulloch Menagerie , when a Woodcock flew low over the house & paddock, fantastic!

I will leave it here for now, with a song choice to match and I wish for better changes for us all in 2019, walk your life & make it count.
I’ll be seeing you next year – Karen – x

Kelly & Ozzy Osbourne – Changes

The Dunnock & The Holly

Sunrise

Floods

Long May the Snow continue…

Beautiful day!
Mainly work and chores.
But stole some moments in the snow, long may it continue.
Poor Sleep still irks, poor dreams when I do!

Another Snowy Day …

Ach, another poor nights sleep and nae up til 8am again.
Was a cold and icy start and so wish Alistair would leave the paths alone, solid ice, was skating everywhere, but not of Winter Olympics standard!
It then became milder & crept back up to zero degrees by midday and then the snow came and came some more.

Pretty much a whiteout and it was a day for indoors and in front of the stove (According to the Poodle)

There were 2 Starlings feeding this am, two turned into 12 at midday and there were fourteen by 2pm. Nae seen any Longtailed tits today, but more Siskins at the feeders.

Alistair arrived home early and snow eased at 3pm. A wee Snowball fight pursued.

4pm, snow falling again, big fluffy flakes, the glen was all silent and still, apart from the odd bird and it was just one of those magical moments.

Ah, nearly forgot! St Valentines Day.
A basket of roses from Alistair arrived yesterday and I owe him at a future date.

Snow Day …

Last night downloaded a sleep app, which was to record snoring. Mine apparently!! Think Alistair is exaggerating slightly and seems I’m only managing a couple of hrs per night too, do not believe I am snoring and I think he is hearing Barclay (Or himself)!
Though, I must have eventually fallen asleep, as was so late up and WHOAH, opened the curtains to the most magical morning, not just a blanket of snow, was a great big deep fluffy shag-pile carpet of the wonderful stuff.

Was so keen to get outside, I very nearly forgot to make me morning coffee!!
It was the PERFECT morning and it was time to get the McNikon out.

Late morning, it was time to say goodbye to Stan & Caroline who have been staying with us for the last 3 days. Yet again, we have been blessed, it was a pleasure to host for them and I hope we see them again some day.

On the phone to old friend, when I looked out and saw two people & a dog in the garden. I was a wee bit snarly, apparently they wanted coffee and then I got a wee bit flustered too, but got myself pulled together, apologised etc and the chat in the Gallery with them was good, it actually did me some good.
(NEED to get the Gallery doors open again soon)!

The Chickens were very reluctant to step out of their coop today, only Bruce & Fanny ventured out for a few minutes this afternoon, they were soon back inside mind.
The Ducks actually behaved today.
More Siskins appeared at the Feeders today, reminds me, our guests got a cracking photo of our resident Buzzard.
Majority of the day was spent outdoors.
Hoping sleep will come tonight and that there is more snow on the morro.
Today has been a better day.

DSCN0187 DSCN0183

A Lump in my Throat…

With this new February Snow, am keeping an eye open for new Birds etc and am pleased to report that the Yellow Hammer has made an appearance for the first time at Tulloch this morning and that we have two Tree Creepers in the garden.

I have also been watching our Wee Buck on a daily basis.
Other Fallow have now appeared in the field to find food, so was interested to see how our Wee Buck would react to his fellow Deer.
This morning has seen a fresh Stag appear, very grand he is.
After hanging around grazing all morning, the fresh Stag has led the way to find shelter for this afternoon, watching them all jump the fence one by one, there was one hind, a younger Stag and our Wee Buck left, as I type, it looks like the hind and younger Stag are trying to encourage our Wee Buck to jump the fence also and I can’t but help feel a wee lump in me throat, is today the day he leaves us to join the herd???
– Karen – x

Our Wee Buck

Another Stag we saw, notice his Antlers!

Loch Tulloch …

Christmas and Hogmanay have just flown on by, it seems to have been nothing but constant work and there hasn’t been enough hours in the day and I ended 2016 feeling a tad frustrated at been behind the schedule in my head, but, today has seen GREAT progress.

AT LAST, work has begun on the wildlife Pond (Well now actually a Loch).
We have a builder here at present and his work required the use of a mini digger, I said brilliant, as I had just the job for it!

Now this ~~pond~~ Loch, has been in my mind for sometime, Alistair and I had discussed it, planned a size etc.
Our builder (Who we shall name as Bob), got the digger into position and would begin the scraping, he had soon gotten round to working round the wee island, I halted proceedings and said I thought that we should go bigger.
Off Bob went to get stakes etc and the new size was marked out, he began to continue and I would go to make us a Coffee.

Coffees in hand, I returned, he had pretty much got it done.
Bob jumped off the digger for his beverage, saw my face and said; ‘You want to go bigger don’t you’?
I said, yes, just a wee bit.
It was 15minutes later, when the ~~pond~~ then became a Loch!

There is lots more work to do yet, but am filled with joy at todays progress and my mind is full of excitement and am already imaging the Flocks of Ducks and Skeins of Geese which will visit us in the future (Unless Barclay claims it as his very own Swimming Pool)
– Karen – x