Pet Rescue - Carnoustie!

Gwen eventually worked out where the cat noise was coming from that we had heard for the last couple of days. Since she was pregnant I was sent to attempt a rescue from the top of the scaffolding at the back of the old Victoria Wine building.

Clambering onto the top of the wall revealed a large drop to a narrow shelf, which having once been a wash house was complete with a large, rusting, metal basin. The basin's contents were unsavoury to say the least, but jumping down from this ledge landed me in Carnoustie's very own open sewer, looking for all the world like the run-off from a shanty town. No wonder that Queen Street often reeks on hot days. I couldn't see the source of the turgid brown slop, but the stone cover has been lifted from the drain closer to the high street to allow an exit. Just as well, or I could have been literally up to my neck in s***.

I quickly climbed up the less than stable scaffolding, but the cat was reluctant to come. So, a return journey to collect the cat box of our ex-cats. My reputation as an animal lover must have preceded me as the cat was having nothing to do with me despite its obvious distress. Another trip through the open sewer revealed a genuinely incredible display of brown in every shade imaginable and put me in favour of contacting the SSPCA.

At least I had managed to get the owners phone number from the collar. The SSPCA couldn't come out until tomorrow and there was no answer on the owners number. So Gwen decided to try tempting it across the roof with tuna. The owner then phoned and it turned out that 'Biggles' had been missing since the 7th. The combination of tuna and hearing his own name overcame his fear. However, it then became clear why he hadn't come this way before. The nesting seagulls began to dive bomb the poor moggy, but despite constant hary from the air, Biggles (fittingly enough) came through the aerial assault and Gwen completed the rescue with bloodied face.

One happy owner!
One call to environmental health tomorrow!

So busy

Just no time to to do anything. We did manage to stop for coffee last weekend though and the hills are definitely snowy, we could see this tree from Peel Farm.

Gulls dodging the waves

I'm not usually a fan of seagulls but I think I will have to get this printed to see what it looks like larger. The great sunset on Sunday was one of those you only get in January where the water turns a rich golden colour. It looks viscous like waves made in golden syrup. The seagulls were doing their best to avoid the breaking waves which giving up their turgid shoreward journey suddenly burst out sending the birds into the air. The strange thing was having lifted from the sea they perfectly echoed the wave with those that rose first setting down first, with the others following with perfect synchronicity.

Windy weather!

Esmé enjoyed the wind with a little encouragement. If you look above the trees on the golf course picture you can see an iridescent cloud.

Bird count update

These figures represent the highest at any one time today.

4 blackbirds (down from10)

4 Fieldfares (down from 12)

16 Goldfinches (possibly more up from 13)

8 Chaffinches (up from 4)

6 House Sparrows ( up from 4)

4 Blue Tits (no change)

1 Pigeon (no change)

1 Dove (no change)

4 Greenfinches (up from 2

4 Bramblings (First visit)

There has been a significant change over the last week and the thaw today has seen the departure of many of the Fieldfares and blackbirds. However, we spotted some bramblings today a first for our garden. The new small hole feeder with thistle seed is now being heavily used by the goldfinches. While the chaffinches are collecting the fallen seed below. No Waxwings this year.

We just need a feeder nearer the house now to take a decent picture.

Ice on the riverTay

Brrrrrr on riverside just after sunset today. There was no wind and I was frozen within about 10 minutes. I had the gloves that I have worn on plenty of snow capped summits and my fingers were getting numb by the time I got back to the car.

Last Sunday of the holidays :(

I am back at work tomorrow Gwen and Esmé don't go back until Wednesday. I will miss them. It is hard when you get used to life with each other all day and then it comes to an abrupt end.

Great weather though for the last day, blue sky, crisp snow and you could see large breakers out in the estuary. The sea actually looked fairly calm but it was impacting against the coastal defences with a sudden ferocity. It caught me off guard a couple of times and but for a quick jump I would have been soaked.

The seed heads I noticed last week and thought they looked interesting. The sun was in just the right place to provide a silhouette of there structure.

Garden bird count

- 1 cat = lots more birds (Although Oscar is sadly missed)

max at one time.

10 blackbirds (1 black and white)

12 Fieldfares (only1 in previous years)

13 Goldfinches

4 Chaffinches

4 House Sparrows

4 Blue Tits

1 Pigeon

1 Dove

2 Greenfinches

Starlings numerous