Common Cranes (Grus grus)....

It was just getting dark with an odd pink sky when I heard them right overhead, but by the time I had grabbed the camera they were almost out of focus.  Most estimates of flight speed puts them at between 40 to 80 km/h (depending on the wind). They have been known to fly as fast as 90 km/h.  No wonder I had a problem with focus!
 
On migration, they will fly by night and by day with altitudes between 200 to 1000 meters. This is quite important and worthy of note as this height clears the wind turbines at 150 metres although, in practice, they may occasionally drop below this height before circling and regaining altitude.  These birds are quite late as they start migrating around September.
 
We took the battery from the mower in to be checked at the local shop and we were told that is nothing wrong with it!  I have been saying there is a starter problem for some time, but they disagreed with me.  It is being collected on Friday and they will check it out and give it a service ready now for next year! The mower service costs the same as our car does!!!!!
 
We met friends at our favourite cheap restaurant today for lunch.  Now I have never seen kangaroo on the menu in France before, but it was there today, so of course I had to try it.  It was casseroled and quite tender though a firm meat, not sure I would go nuts over it, but it was a good meal served with vegetable tagine and chips  The usual four-course with wine and coffee for €15.30 each.
 
We stopped off at Leclerc on the way home to buy a couple of things and we got home frozen.  Of course, it was one of those days when the fire did not want to burn easily.  The heating is turned off from 10 am until 4pm and again from 9pm until 8 am.  The fire is our main heat source during the day.  6°C Max -1°C Min.  The rest of the week just gets colder, next week is a little better!
 
No dinner tonight lunch was more than enough.
 
Thank you for the lovely comments on our little Christmas Tree yesterday.

Have a good Thursday and I hope wherever you live you have good weather; I see Scotland is very cold!!  Get those winter coats out. Take care.