Travels with my camera

Well here we are again. At last I have been somewhere! And the weather was good enough to take some pictures. I actually went birding! (well sort of) I went to Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve, which is near Cardigan. I have been going there for a few years now, it's one of the few places that you can actually birdwatch from hides, but still take well behaved dogs (and my Emma is) There are also lots of nature trails, picnic areas, a cafe, tourist centre, canoeing. Iolo Williams did a programme from here last year, the first one in the series, and at the end he was called back to see a baby orphaned otter that had been found, awwww. There's a competition running which you can win a walk in the wild with Iolo. Oooer, yes please. I must win this, please god! :o) I will overlook the fact that he is so bandy, and hope he doesn't wear shorts which only accentuate the problem, I'm sure I can turn a blind eye.

Thank goodness I managed to cheer up today. I have been very depressed again lately, can't seem to get motivated to do all the things that have to be done, or even have time to do them. It helps when the sun is shining like today, but then I only want to get out for the day or a few hours with Emma, but then I get fed up because I haven't done anything that needs doing here, like cleaning or doing things in the garden. Its a no-win situation I suppose. I must try and organise some help here though, I just can't manage it alone all the time, especially now the grass will need doing at least once a week, and replacing the broken fence panel at the weekend nearly killed me.

Anyway, will post a few photos from today, enough of my sob story.

This is an Otter made from Willow. It's 28 feet high, and has 5,000 sticks to form it. It took the artist 6 weeks to construct. Some of them have taken root. I sat here today and ate my lunch, a cheese roll, a piece of chocolate cake (yum) and a coffee. All I wanted was a bit of peace and quiet and to watch and listen for birds. So I managed to get a woman and her two hyperactive sons on the next table. They spent the whole time shouting and fighting on the ground, throwing each others trainers around, whilst she just sipped at her bloody expresso! Why does it always happen to me? And more to the point, why weren't they at school???

This is the view across toward Cardigan

Emma studying the slate cliffs.


The closest I've ever been to Canada Geese! I took this from the Kingfisher Hide, had my head hanging out of the window, lol. I also heard my first Chiff Chaffs of the year, saw a pair of Swallows, plus lots of tits, chaffs and robins. And some sort of gulls overhead, which I must try and find out what they were from those who know......