November – Week 1
And what a week! One word – DREICH!
I have spent the past couple of days, inside because it’s been awfy dreich, editing and attempting to select and gather a set of shots for the week! I’m not complaining, really, I’ve been saying we need rain for a few weeks now so ….. this morning it was actually pishin’ doon, not too bad now. I think the worst part of almost constant dreich is the dull grey, useless for photography and a wee bit depressing after a while but…….. it really is not worth getting depressed by the weather, it’s just weather, right?
I’ve still been heading out for walks on the patch on most days but a couple I did on the treadmill instead!
Monday 3rd was a good walk although not a lot of photography going on, I did the full ponds loop, not been that way for a good while, also checked on the wee white birds but no sign, not surprised really, it was really quiet all told.
The lane and the portal, above, are all looking very Autumnal at the moment as well as very wet š
That was it!
As I stepped out the door on Tuesday 4th I heard a light aircraft doing a WW2 fighter impersonation, that louder roar they make as they bank into a dive … turned to my right and sure enough, a light aircraft was diving towards but behind the house. I grabbed the camera as I heard it come around the other side.
Hmmmmmmm. Very low! Judging by the wheels down and very low engine revs he was practicing emergency landing? Not sure how legal flying at that height is but … revs up, wheels up and disappeared into the mist. There’s a small airport near Perth where a lot of them come from.
I decided to take the field loop and check the wildlife camera.
Along the field, down the hill to the reed beds and cut back to the camera location, I was seeing Fieldfare ahead of me but. they’re shy wee beggars and try as I might, I couldn’t get close …. yet š
As I headed back along the bottom of the field I spotted a Meadow Pipit on a branch, watching me š I hadn’t seen any for ages so it was a wee bit of a surprise.
Back to the lane, up the hill to the first feeding post …. yes, I’me back to two feeding posts!!!
It’s wonderful as I approach the post, there are tiny birds flitting into the Gorse next to it and the branches above it and this time, two Nuthatches arrived as well, love it š
Coal, Blue & Great Tits, Chaffinch, Robin all arrive sometimes a Treecreeper and GS Woodpecker(s). I also hear the Jays in the surrounding trees but they will not move closer š¦ There are a couple of Coal Tits that drop straight onto my hand now to grab a seed, one landed on my phone when I was trying to video it all š
Breaking News! – The Sun is breaking through the dreich as I type this!!!!! š
Meanwhile, back to last week.
As I turned away from the feeding frenzy, I spotted these fronds hanging in the woods.
There was a bird in the Buzzard tree, that wasn’t a Buzzard …. hmmmm
A Sparrowhawk, surveying its surroundings, this is a great perch for any raptor.
A few minutes later .. another Sparrowhawk?
I can’t be sure because none are great shots but, the first looks like a male, the second looks female.
And not long after that.
A Buzzard gave me a look at low level, I love photographing them because they tend to cruise fairly slowly but, look at that bland sky š¦
So I cheated with one shot, I’m not a fan of doing that but…
I wandered around the back of the house down by the mill pond to check for the white Chaffinch, which I didn’t see but, this Chaffinch and Redwing had a bit of a bust up, just missed the actual event.
But then …
Are they actually buddies? I might keep an eye out for them again. Back up the lane and I spotted another Nuthatch near the bottom off the hill, good to see them spreading out, a reasonable large flock of wee birdies flew overhead and landed high in a Birch tree.
A mixed flock of Redpoll and Siskin, maybe others I didn’t see. I’ll hopefully get better Redpoll shots soon.
Now, I’ve mentioned the hedge on the hill before, as we go into these later months it become a hive of activity, the Reed Buntings seem to move in and either really like being photographed or are curious?
This female sat nicely for me to end my walk.
I didn’t get out on the 5th but the 6th, well it wasn’t much better.
This is our bin lane, leading away from the first feeding post and you can see how low and thick the cloud / mist was.
I did the shorter pond loop on the 6th.
That said, still a 3 miler. All I really have is some Autumnal images as I walked.
I did like the mist almost hiding that tree next to the hill fort.
So back up the hill and almost home when the peeping of Geese overhead caught my attention.
A couple of skeins of Pink-footed geese heading North-ish.
I ventured out again on Friday 7th but once again it was just plain dreich.
The light and mist caught my eye again looking towards the hill fort.
Not a great week, photographically speaking but not too bad for walks and I did the treadmill on the other days, it also allowed me time to edit and delete some of the way too many images I have collected up, a work in progress.
I hope you all get to enjoy your week ahead, stay safe.
See you again soon.
November 2025
patch photos
Scozmo's Photery 
You had lovely walks and great bird sightings in between days of rain. The autumn foliage and trees are wonderful and I love reflections.
I walk on a treadmill in the winter on the coldest and snowy, rainy days as well. Got to keep the legs moving they say.
I hope you have a great and safe week as well.
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Good morning and thank you, I love the walks I have on this patch of land, as I walked back yesterday I felt it was a tiny Eden, so much wildlife, so many fruits and nuts in the trees and hedges, wonderful.
I’m a sucker for a good reflection too, I was down by the bigger pond last night and the reflections were wonderful.
Tuesday and still dreich š
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