Birds, Balloons and More Pigs

Just by way of a change from the recent snow, frost, hail, gales and floods, a thick mist descended this morning, and we heard the boom of foghorns out in the Sound, a noise more usually associated with summer when the haar rolls across the water.

The weather didn't bother the robin, even though the temperature had struggled to a mere 2C by nine this morning.  He's been very intent on repelling the invasion of his very comfortable territory by two other robins.  The fights are frequent, brief, and vicious.

Balloons have been appearing in some of the Ormsaigbeg fields.  We don't think they indicate that midnight parties are going on, though nothing ever surprises us.  It's more likely that....

....they're designed to scare off the greylag geese.  Several flocks of upwards of twenty birds are moving around from field to field.  On the other hand, they may be there....

....to protect the fields from the burgeoning population of Hughie's pigs.  This is the latest family, a sow with seven piglets, which has taken up residence in the brambly woodland by the Ormsaigbeg post box.