Male Chaffinch.

A day of bits and pieces. However as it was dry I decided to go out and look for inspiration. Where we went to last night to try to see the Aurora is right beside an SSSI (or at least I have always understood it to be an SSSI) so I thought I would go and take a few shots there.

It may be scientifically impressive but it certainly wasn't visually impressive. So I decided to head back and take a few shots on the way. My first stop was in a lay-by across the road from the other end of the SSSI. Visually no better, in fact if you looked away from the SSSI much worse. The ditch was full of several bags of rubble and an old plastic bucket. Why oh why would anybody do that? Just 4 miles down the road there is a recycling depot which would have taken all of the rubbish.

Just as I was getting in the car to move on I was passed by a very large lorry which filled the whole width of the back road. Fortunately he wasn't going far as he was carrying a large forestry machine with wheels about five feet in diameter. However he still blocked the road as he turned into the forest as he had to get out to unlock the gate. So I took a quick shot of the machine.

Next stop to look at some conifers that had been blown over. I suspect this was due to the trees across the road having been felled and they were suddenly subject to the full force of the gales after 45 years. How do I know it was 45 years? Well back in the 60s they knew how to do things properly and a few yards further down the road was an 18* by 12* plaque which said "Planted 1968".

So finally home to examine my shots. When all were checked I decided to use a shot I took before I set off. Taken through the living room window.