Whooper (and Flowers)

Mr Flum's choice again, this time to Fife, as he wanted to climb the 'Walnut Whips', three small peaks on a hill made from open-cast mining spoil, visible from the M9 but accessed from Loch Fitty. The official title is St Ninian's Former Open Cast Mine.

We began, of course, with coffee, at Craigies before heading through the village of Kingseat, turning of for the loch and car parking. The loch is itself formed from the mine, now filled with water; there is a causeway, splitting it into two unequal parts, over which the path approaches the Hill.

Not being particularly mobile at present, I chose to remain by the loch while Mr Flum continued the walk. But there was plenty to entertain me, as the smaller loch was populated with swans, these were whooper swans, (Cygnus cygnus). This naming, a tautonym, indicates that this is the 'type  species', from which other species differ. I counted around 60, a mix of adult and juvenile, the former with distinctive yellow beak, (main photo)the latter quite pale.

There were mute swans on the loch, but I saw only a couple of pairs. Tufted duck and mallard are much in evidence, mixing with the swans quite contentedly. Extra 1, the view across the small loch towards the hill with its three peaks with trees, includes a swan just visible, a mute.

I did discover something a little disturbing, in the form of remains of a large bird which I think might be a raptor, dark-form buzzard, perhaps, judging by the wings - not bluey-black as a corvid but tipped in brown. Sadly, neither head nor feet were present to provide an identification...call me suspicious but I do hope the death was natural.

As I returned to the car a large skein of geese flew over from the west, heading who-knows-where, but Mr Flum missed them. I had just settled in to read my book when he reappeared, as did the sunshine from light rain, and we set off in search of a late lunch, too late for the cafe in Pittencrieff Park so we Googled and discovered The Ceramic cafe in Elgin St Industrial Estate, which is actually within a ceramic-painting studio. They were a little surprised to see random bods such as ourselves but served very nice coffee and cake, surrounded by the most amazing selection of finished articles and the blank shapes.

From there it was home for domestic duties - a big pan of mushroom soup, in my case.

I cannot ignore Flower Friday, though, and for extra 2, I show the progress of my two amaryllis', in their corner of the utility room and  which have big fat buds, two each. Whatever happens ( and, as you will remember, in my case, anything could happen), whether or not they flower and whether any flowers survive to maturity, they have shown willing, and with that I am well pleased.