Morning light

We were on top of the Knott shortly after sunrise, the sun low and picking out the apricot colour in Gus's ruff. I wasn't planning a Gus blip for today, although his No1 fan has reminded me of my commitment to post at least one a month.  Gus has become a lot slower this last year, he plods along beside or behind me, and waits patiently while I stop to look at things. Alas, he doesn't do action shots any more.

I had gone over to the steep scarp side of the hill in the hope of seeing an eye-level fly-by of shelducks. They do this in the Spring, presumably when prospecting for a nest site. I saw them last week, but there has been no show this last couple of days. In some ways I feel relieved that they may have moved on somewhere else, it is such a long and hazardous journey for the young birds to be walked to the sea from here.

Another beautiful Spring day, there are now three warbler species to listen to on the walk up the hill, the newly arrived blackcaps have joined the chorus of chiffchaffs and willow warblers.

I've made more progress on the allotment, it's looking reasonably tidy and I've been getting seeds sown at home and in situ. I took Gus back with me this afternoon. He wouldn't settle, and when I opened the gate to go to fill the watering can, he went off to introduce himself to Sue who is Chair of the Allotment Association, and then he helped her with her watering. He wouldn't be persuaded to come back into our plot, mindful no doubt of the new rule that dogs should be on a lead while outside the curtilage of your own allotment. At least it seems it wasn't Sue who originated that rule, or else Gus is more forgivable than most dogs - or probably both.