Mission Control...! Mission Control...! The SSS Squirrel has landed...! Repeat...! The SSS Squirrel has landed...!There was I, busily sorting myself for a trip out to Loch Ness and Culloden Moor (to pay respects to family that fell there) as part of a trip to see some of the area for Roshina and her boyfriend when Jackie comes flying out of the office/craft dept/dining room/disaster area shouting "It's a red squirrel! It's red squirrel...!"
Sitting at her desk (a prerequisite to operations here) she sees out of the corner of her eye and red (not grey) bushy tail disappearing from view and does a double-take; peers round, and that third most elusive of British mammals, comes clearly into view, in the garden, running along the fence, and into one of the eight pine trees in the garden...
Ah yes...boldly gone...
Uwe... indeed, a mistake, and agreed... but hindsight is a marvelous thing and we did not want them released in just any-old-pond, as we considered them part of the "family"... the guilt-trip over desertion of the old garden critters is immense and we still wonder at their fate with the new residents, who I think will be doing a turn-around on the property to make a "quick buck..."
The metre deep pool is now being enjoyed by the survivors, including a pair of green tench that we've had for circa 20 years (yes, they are that old, and one survived an escape from the pond in the summer sun... no idea to this day how it got past a wire mesh and how it survived being "cooked", but although smaller than it's partner all the physical scarring is gone) and I've always had a fondness for their tenacity and survivability ... biggest of them is circa 300mm or more... Orfe, we will get again, as the "sharks" (as we nicknamed them, due to their "attacking" their food) were always a spectacle at feeding (frenzy) time...
Hmm... now to source a supply of hazel/cob nuts, which is the red squirrel's fave food treat...
Oh yes, fine weather, yet again... I've been posting some pics over on FB but will sort some for here too... Sunrise over the Beauly Firth has been rather enjoyable, albeit circa 0600 to catch the best light for pics... we have a direct easterly view...