Wash and brush-up...

After a flurry of courtship behaviour, the bitter weather seems to have cooled the ardour of the grebes. I haven't seen any signs of pre-nuptial dancing for quite a few days. But this one is clearly keeping itself beautifully preened, just waiting for the weather to warm up again.

A fairly uneventful day, but I finished an overdue report and had a successful chemistry session with Niall and Ben, studying polymers. I'm sticking to my new eating regime, and the only snacks that have passed my lips have been a few cherry tomatoes and a couple of small oranges. I think I might actually succeed in shedding some weight this time - it would be really good to lose about ten pounds before the fieldwork season starts in earnest!