Eider drake

The skull of an eider (Somateria mollissima) from my collection. Living ones look like this from a few days ago.
Emergency macro after I realised the light was gone and I didn't have a blip.

I got up fairly early to make sure that I could pick up a cheap hand-blender from Lidl, having noticed they were on sale today (they only had six in the Kirkgate). I realised that I'd had mine for about 25 years...still use it two or three times a month, but it was getting a bit tired-looking and this new one comes with all sorts of fancy new gadgets I'll never use, like an icecube chopper :)

Then up to the allotment. Got the shallots planted, and covered with fleece to prevent the depredations of the woodpigeons. Soil was nice and workable, so I hoed a bit; hope that keeps the weeds down in spring. Actually there's hee-haw chance of that....