A Perfect Light

Shot of the Day

I've been nursing a miserable cold these last few days and I really should have spent my day off tucked up in bed but I am loathed to waste it so I decided I would wrap up and make the most of the day. 

I received a message last night from Malcolm saying the nesting box was ready and he and Carole would be up in the morning to deliver it. Malcolm kindly agreed to build a nesting box incorporating the camera from the feeder cam. 

My intention is to put it at some appropriate location in the garden and hopefully a pair of Great Tits will nest and I can follow their progress over the coming months. I say Great Tits as the hole was made to accommodate them. Apparently the holes have to be very precise for whatever is nesting. 

• 25 mm for blue, coal and marsh tits
• 28 mm for great tits, tree sparrows and pied flycatchers
• 32 mm for house sparrows and nuthatches
• 45 mm for starlings

 As Carole had never been to the moorland feeder station she was eager to go and have a look and spend some time behind the screen. She wasn't disappointed as there was a good variety of birds on show. We were just packing up and preparing to head for the Buccleuch Centre for lunch when Cat Barlow and Jenny Park stopped for a brief chat. They were on their way to check on some new nesting boxes.

After a nice lunch at the Centre Carole and Malcolm set of back to Carlisle and I went by way of Wauchope Cottage to see if Tootlepedal had any plans for the afternoon. He had two or three hours to spare before going of to Kirkandrews on Esk with Billy Young on choir duty.

After a short debate we decided take a trip up the Tarras valley as far as Lodgegill. We  came upon a small herd of feral goats that were grazing by the roadside. These goats are quite common in the Tarras valley and surrounding area but don't often  come as close to the roadside so this was a real treat. The wind must have been in the right direction as these creatures have a very strong oder which is not pleasant.   

The area we were headed for is, on first impressions quite featureless and  offers little for the landscape photographer to me is a challenge. Fortunately today we were blessed with almost perfect light and I think I got some of the best shot I have taken in a long time. 

  

This gentleman was obviously well thought of

This lambing shed will be busy in the weeks to come

The interior

Looking towards the Cumberland Fells

In the evening I attended a meeting in the Masonic hall which was to do with a well intentioned  attempt to regenerate the area. It followed the same meeting held in the afternoon and was very well attended.