Who's counting?

'If you see one rook, it's a crow.' Well, not this time - I'm pretty sure this solitary forager was a rook. It was a very good day for birdwatching behind glass, with a hotel gas heater driving me to take off the top four layers of clothing (don't panic - still plenty left in place!) A surprisingly good spot too, as the fading afternoon light drove successive flocks from daytime feeding on the estuary mud to their favourite overnight stops. Starling, assorted gulls, repeated flights of oystercatchers, jackdaws. I'll take that on a grey day with a bitter north wind

The colours in our view drew the eye, even on the greyest of days. Golden bracken hanging above grey-black rocks; the sea grading from stirred up pink-brown mud and silt in the estuary (seeing this, who could be surprised that estuaries silt up?!), to light blue close to the shoreline and inky blue on the horizon. Even the domesticated hotel lawn is tolerable today - especially with added bird-life

And then there is the dancing flames. Well this afternoon's hotel stop was a present of birthday tea from family and friends, so of course they laid on candles! No - just kidding - this trompe d'oeil was noticed by MrsM as very fitting for the occasion, so of course I stole it. The four-layer heating included naked flames enclosed in a glass case, reflected in the one-way window glass. I doubt if it's environmentally very sound, but today I will forgive them