A wet and windy day posting

Thursday the 6th of November

View out my kitchen window.

View from my front door.

However yesterday was a nice day.

Regular Glebe Blog readers will know that one of my favourite stretches of water is the Penkiln Burn. After parking up north of Glenhoise, I took a farm track to the water's edge. 

This pair of ravens were performing aerobatics, I couldn't capture a tumble.

This ford is still in use as is another later in the post.

(I just checked this sentence on this website Reverso.Net and I'm told that no grammatical errors were detected)

The clarity of the water was beautiful.

I'd heard that the odd salmon had been spotted. I only saw a couple of small trout.

Hardly a cloud in the sky.

I moved South-West down the burn, lots of lovely waterfalls. 

There were  a number of very shy dippers. The one picture I got isn't worth publishing.

Had it been a warm summer's day, I would have loved to immerse myself here.

'gators in the Penkiln !!

The dappled sunlight created colourful canvases. 

I said hello to the shepherd who crossed this ford.

I finished my walk along the Penkiln at the perimeter of the Cumloden Estate.

A farm track took me back to Glenhoise with a grand view of Larg Hill.

It was busy overhead. Another less zoomed in view of Larg Hill with Garlick Hill to the right.

That evening I thought I'd try to capture some fireworks.

After taking the above two, I turned my attention to the moon instead.

  

Maybe one of these days I'll capture the ISS crossing over.

The Penkiln Burn and Blairmount Pond

Last day of February 2014

I've been full of cold, coughing and sneezing most of the week, but felt better enough to venture out a couple of times today.

It was a lovely day and felt like spring.

My first outing was a short walk up the Penkiln Burn. 

View from the Queen Mary Bridge.

The smoke is from tree workers cutting down Rhododendrons. I think it's part of the Scottish Governments plans to control invasive species. I don't understand why they're bothering with this section though, the river's split in two here and it's virtually an island.!

Though the water levels have dropped somewhat, there's still enough flow to make the waterfalls tumble.

Nature doing it's own recycling.

This looks to be a 'Many-Zoned Polypore' variety.

I think this is a Wood Mushroom

We had an overnight frost. It's a pity we hadn't had more frost these last few weeks, it would have killed off a lot of bugs. Guaranteed to see midges early this year. (Unless we get some prolonged late frost) 

My two favourite burns in the area are the Palnure, and this, the Penkiln.

If I had to choose I think the Penkiln would just edge it simply by it's variety of colours.

I keep hoping I'll get to photograph one of the many otters in the burn. I have seen them, but never quick enough to get a picture. Even when I sit for a while, I imagine they're peeping out to see if I'm still there.

Another of the many waterfalls.

There are still lots of pools on the river's edges from the flooding.

Some snowdrops are now past their best, but these along here are just about in full bloom.

I liked this reflection.

I'd sat and waited for this dipper to re-emerge from the bank on my way out, only it never re-appeared. It was only on my way back I managed to get a quick picture. 

Specks of foam making an interesting picture.

More snowdrops.

My second outing of the day was around Blairmount Pond

Occasional clouds stood out sharply against the bright sunshine.

Could we see more cygnets on Blairmount this year ?

I only saw the one swan though, perhaps it's the male arriving early to check out the site ?

The ducks on Blairmount are very human friendly, quite a number of them have been well fed by the locals from when they were ducklings.

This duck just landed creating a wake in front of him.

There seems to be around ten male mallards and only one female. Above is a highly cropped image, I was off the platform when I looked back to see it jumping up.

 As I approached the bank around the other side, birds were making a beeline for me. Someone is feeding them well !

If that's the same cloud, it hasn't moved much in half an hour.

Is this crow just sunbathing I wonder ?

It's been a lovely day, and even though my sinuses aren't quite right I think my outing today's done me good.

Rambling tomorrow hopefully.

Triangulation Points S8192,S8228 and Black Benwee Hill

We're still experiencing inclement weather here in South West Scotland,but I've managed to get out and about a bit this week.
Now I'm not a trigpoint collector,but I believe there are people that are.
The fact is there's one no more than a couple of hundred yards from my house.
I'll take a roundabout route to photograph it.

This is the scene directly out of my back garden.This is Doonhill Woods.
In the spring the dawn chorus in here is absolutely and beautifully on an orchestral scale.

There's a chaffinch on my neighbours feeder.

Leaf mould is building up.

This is Doonhill House.It's a listed building.You can see from the colour of the brickwork that the rear half is much newer than the front.It's just recently finished being rebuilt.I believe it suffered major structural damage in a fire.
I'm not sure when the fire was, but the house was on the market in 2001 for the sum of £330,000.
Here's the sellers description.

8 Aug 2001

Let it pay its own expenses LUXURY letting can be a smart move when it comes to maintaining a period property. As guests relax in a unique private home, the owners can put high maintenance worries to one side as their property generates a healthy income. A period home such as Doonhill House in Newton Stewart, Galloway, lends itself to a letting income. Set in three acres of ground on the edge of town, the property comes with two self-contained cottage flats in a cobbled courtyard. The house dates from 1870, and with a pillared portico, fine reception rooms, impressive entrance hall and broad staircase, was evidently built for a person of some means. Typical of the period, the dining room and drawing room have bay windows, deep skirting boards and ornate plasterwork. The proportions of the rooms are generous and they have been adapted to modern living. The entrance hall, with seating area and open fire, sets the tone for the rest of the house, spacious and welcoming. Off the hall are the dining room and drawing room and there is a separate sitting room, a home office and kitchen. Far from being the domain of servants, the kitchen is now at the heart of the home. Upstairs are five bedrooms, a dressing room and two bathrooms. Cellars run the length of the house and to the rear is a courtyard surrounded by storerooms. Beyond the house, screened by trees, the former stables on their cobbled courtyard have been converted into two flats, each with lounge, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms. These can provide letting income, from holidaymakers or from longer term lets. In an area famed for its gardens, Doonhill can hold its own, with fine trees including Wellingtonians and Douglas Firs, some thought to be older even than the house itself. Newton Stewart lies just off the A75, which links the M74 via Dumfries to the ferry terminal for Ireland at Stranraer. 

There's a view of the front of the house here Simon Winstanley

And here perched on top of Doon Hill at a height of 79 Mtrs and at Grid Reference NX403653 is Trigpoint S8192 complete with flush bracket.

Moving on to another day I've parked just past Mains of Penninghame farm by the fishing pond.

The Bishop Burn has a copious flow. .N.B A 'gush' is a sudden copious flow.Got that ?

I'm heading south along farm and forest track towards the Wood of Auchleand.Seagulls are swooping.

After passing a field of running sheep (I don't think it was me who spooked them.Hen Harriers have been seen in the area though),I reach the forest and turn west.

Remnants of a little hardcore quarrying I think.

The forest track has one spur off it leading nowhere.The main track also comes to a dead end.
There are a few forest rides, but none that appear to be easily navigated.
Perhaps in dryer weather some walking routes may be discovered.

There's plenty fungi and weeds about.

Now a massive climb up through the woods to a height of  83 Mtrs ha ha, gets me on top of Wood Fell....

...to Trigpoint S8228 at Grid Reference NX401594 and again complete with Flush Bracket.

But there's a bonus here.

This one still retains its OSTS Spider Cap.I don't know who steals these but that's often the case on Triangulation pillars.

Here's a few views from up here.

As I head back to my car I'm treated to a swooping display by starlings.

Not as big as some of the massive flocks I've seen down in Lincolnshire but entertaining none the less.

 ...and here's a sunset from my back window that night.

Wednesday the 26th of October .The forecast is for showers,but I'm hoping to climb a wee hill.I drive down to Auchinleck and park up.

The right hand hill in the above picture is Black Benwee.
In the last Newton Stewart Walkfest, Black Benwee was the first hill on a strenuous 15k walk called 'The Three Wee's'.The other 'Wee's' being White Benwee and Curleywee.
I'd abandoned a previous attempt because of torrential rain.

It's roughly three and a half kilometre's along forest road........

.............with much of it following the Penkiln Burn.
The autumn colours are really coming out now. At least I've some shelter from the showers.

After crossing the Penkiln,I take the forest track that runs along it's eastern bank.

A short while after passing Hespies Linn waterfall I start to climb.

It's only 368 mtrs or 1200 feet.
On the walkfest it says rough open ground.
The truth is it's rough forested ground. Ok while following some of the tracks,but pretty rough going.

There's plenty to see underfoot. Lots of fungi this time of year............

.....with some still flowering heather.

As I gain height I get nice views back to Wigtown Bay.Larg Hill is topped with cloud.

It's a case of watching each step as I photograph more fungi.
There's still a couple of areas of uncut forest and it's a respite to make my way through the trees in one of these.
The top part of the hill was never forested and what I'm met with is boggy tussocks.
No one around to listen to my profanities as I trudge the last short distance.


Across from me I can see Drigmorn and Millfore.

I think the size of the cairn reflects the popularity of this hill.

My ten second delay gets this picture.

Ahead are White Benwee and Curleywee.I won't be doing them today.

To the north Larg and Lamachan are still covered in cloud.

While to the south Craignelder and Cairnsmore are in the clear.
I'll try descending to the forest road near the Pulbae Burn.

The terrain down this way is colourful but no different to my climb.

I disturb half a dozen deer.Most of them scoot off,but as I stand still, a couple of them although wary stay still.

This was the best zoom I could get.

Finally down on the forest road and it rains again.
A couple of views of Auchinleck finishes my walk.

If I do make this a part of a future walk it'll be a challenge.