North to South

'S been a while, huh?

The second half of September has been a bit of a blur, to be honest. A fortnight's holiday saw us heading south, visiting relatives en route through Scotland and England, before a week's stay in a converted barn on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, and then the return trip north, visiting yet more relatives.

We were very fortunate with the weather, the only appreciable rain being between Orkney and Fife, in both directions! The remainder of the time was dry, calm and often sunny, which meant that the East Anglian week flew by in a blaze of nature and autumnal outdoorsy-ness.

Spoiler Alert: There may have been dragons.

As mentioned above, travelling down through Scotland was rather damp, so wildlife watching opportunities were few and far between. Instead, we concentrated upon reaching J and N's home in Fife, for a catch-up and an overnight stay. The next day, we journeyed over the newly-opened Queensferry Crossing, and headed south to Yorkshire, via RSPB Leighton Moss.

View from a tree-top platform, the Sky Tower

Common Darter soaking up the warmth from a handrail of the Sky Tower.

Crossing the Pennines into Yorkshire, we camped overnight with First Born and D, and visited a smashing pub/bistro called The Fox, where a must-have photo opportunity presented itself.

Photo courtesy of First Born

Monday saw us heading further south to overnight with Second Born and S, in their home near Milton Keynes.

I was captivated by this little wooden pig, which was decorating a key press.

Finally, on Tuesday afternoon, we arrived at our holiday accommodation, adjacent to the Tithe Barn in the hamlet of Sisland. Within five minutes of our arrival, whilst I was unloading the car, Our Lass (in broad daylight) had spotted a Barn Owl quartering a nearby pasture. I had to wait a little longer for a view, but it was a good omen for the rest of our stay... in the Owl Barn.

The Owl Barn in Sisland, Norfolk.