Golden Grasses

Today was forecast to be the best of the past and future weeks! I think someone got that wrong!

The morning started with great promise with the mist lying like cotton wool in the valleys waiting to be beamed up to the sunshine. My friend M, Bruce's other Mum, and I had decided - on the strength of the forecast - that we would have a day out at the RSPB reserve at Loch Leven. Those of you who watched AutumnWatch this year will have seen it featured with the large number of geese which flock there for the winter. Unfortunately the mist remained all day.

Both Cara and Bruce had a wonderful time exploring new smells and as we had been told they could be off the lead as long as they were under control they had a wonderful walk and were impeccably behaved, thank goodness! We saw swans with teenage cygnets, at least four herons and numerous assorted ducks but the latter were generally far away and with poor light it was difficult to identify them. We stopped at one of the hides en route and the dogs were totally bemused, Cara leaping up beside me at one stage in an attempt, I think, to take a further leap out of the hide window!

Once the dogs had enjoyed a good long walk we popped them into the car and went into the reserve office for a cuppa and a browse around the shop before venturing out to explore the three hides close to the water. It was all incredibly still with just a group of what could have been Shovellers in the far distance. Although to the naked eye the view of the loch was stunningly atmospheric and languid, many of my photos were grey except this one with the wonderful grasses defying the poor light and yet still conveying the mood of the day. I couldn't help but wonder what wildlife was lurking under their cover because there was really very little out on the water, although we could hear the tell-tale honk of the geese echoing across the water. It had been a fabulous day out.