Spoilt for choice

I've felt decidedly under par today - fortunately I know I'll feel better in a day or two, but I still find it frustrating that I can't do everything I want to! As a consequence I've been at home most of the day, but the very strong gusty wind limited insect photo opportunities, though it was great for drying washing!!

This afternoon I set out to photograph our local robin, He has a nest somehwere on the eastern edge of the garden, and is a frequent visitor to the seed feeder. We've been supplementing the birds diet with mealworms, which we keep in stock for the chickens. It's the only guaranteed way to get them back to the hen-house to order!

The robin soon noticed his heap of worms, but only had time to snatch one or tw before the chickens found them and started gobbling them up.I picked up as many worms as I could and put them on the edge of the bird bath, out of chicken reach. But then Rosie the dog decided to come out and sit next to me, which rather put off the robin. I gave up any idea of further bird photography.

By late afternoon I felt up to taking the dogs out to Old Sulehay forest. It was six weeks since I'd photographed the first flush of celandines there, but now all the ground flora was wilted and sad. Dust from the neighbouring limestone quarry was blowing across the countryside, and the barley seemd to be showing the first touches of gold - unknown in May. We've only had one proper day of rain in the past three months, and the impact of this is becoming very obvious in garden and countryside. And there's no prospect of any decent rain in the near future.

When I arrived home I found that we'd acquired a baby wild rabbit, that Pete had found cowering in the middle of a road. We're not sure about it's likelihood of survival, though as it's started eating dandelion and lettuce leaves with enthusiasm, they may be better than we thought.