Mixed bag

A wonderful sunrise greeted us as we headed to the coast today to 'bag' some different birds; let's face it, most birds have gone elsewhere! Anyway, some more to add to the list, if you're that sort of person: Purple Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Longtailed Duck, Eider, Cormorant, Icelandic Gull, Glaucous Gull plus various other gulls we know and love. Despite much mooching and cruising around in the correct area the Gyr Falcon was still off on his/her holidays.

The weather was largely fine - cloudy but little snow. However, the wind today meant that despite it being 'only' -5C it felt much colder. So we felt we justified a visit to the cafe/bakery at lunchtime which had very good cheese and ham croissants and (so LH says) excellent custard and chocolate slices. We located the most northerly branch of the accountancy firm that employs LD (who would have guessed?!) and wandered past the whale watching booths and astronaut/polar expedition museum.

Driving through the countryside is a unique and wonderful experience. Monochrome scenery but a soft, almost luminescent, turquoise band of sky and soft cream/lemony yellow cloud strata with lavender horizons. I've taken so many photos which I hope may inspire colour schemes and a sense of the deep cold, pearlescent beauty.

We stopped at a little nature reserve and climbed a small hill for views over L Myvatn and subsidiary water expanses. I finally found old Angelica seedheads which explained the local jars of their seeds for flavouring. The vistas were again magical and the quiet almost loud in its intensity. Barrow's Goldeneye and Mallard on the water, as per usual.

Tomorrow we head home. A busy day ahead.