NYE HNY WW3 ROYGBIV

A belated Happy New Year to one and all, as life returns to what passes for normal on this particular planet. Bank balances, bathroom scales and hard-working livers ponder the madness of the festive season, whilst the rest of us contemplate whether it will be climate change or world war which will curtail our plans in 2020.

Our Lass and I ventured south for a few days to spend time with family. We travelled on New Year's Eve (Hogmanay), with an early crossing of the Pentland Firth, before a long drive down the A9 to Fife, stopping off at various places en route.

Duncansby Head lighthouse greeting the dawn

In Abernethy Forest, we visited the RSPB's Garten reserve (famous for its Ospreys in Summer) and I tried, unsuccessfully, to photograph some of the birds flitting about the feeding station.

Missed a Coal Tit, but scored a bonus Chaffinch

Finally! A Coal Tit

Exquisitely-focussed bit of ground and a blurry Crested Tit

Icy. One of the small lochans which we visit in Summer for its dragonfly diversity

Lunch on New Year's Day was a four generations affair from Our Lass's side of the family. Despite being the scruffiest person present, I was chuffed with this image as it didn't take long to set up, everyone was looking at the camera and no-one blinked!

After several days cooped up indoors, we were in need of some fresh air and exercise, so Our Lass and I visited the nearby Loch Leven national nature reserve.

A dapper Tree Sparrow

We returned to Orkney yesterday, arriving home about 8pm. In the all-too-brief moments of sunshine this morning, there was an amazing rainbow, although I couldn't photograph it in a single frame, and had to take a panoramic shot, before cropping out the extraneous bits.