Happy Burns Night

As the title says. We have neither neeps nor haggis: it's going to be Scottish salmon and tatties instead, and maybe a tot of malt.*

Woke this morning to a very thick frost and a flight of seven wild swans over the frozen meadows. This afternoon, we escaped to Westhay bird sanctuary - bitterns booming in the bullrushes, a couple of cormorants diving in the main lake, and heron, coot, robins, finches, ducks...a lot of life in an austere, sere landscape. Yesterday showed signs of spring but today was very wintery.

*And happy birthday to Charles. So he's dead - it's still his birthday.