Auchinleck nr Minnigaff 27th March 2010

This is what I like to see at the start of a walk, decent parking place...
...and a sign that says welcome!
..and a friendly robin.

Cones eaten by birds?

Found the remains of what I think is a roe deer stripped clean... and by it pellets containing just deer hair and large fragments of bone...any ideas?

Tumbling water

Stone fly sheltering in tree protector

Hespies Linn Waterfall - not easy to get to

A lovely spot for our picnic

A brief shower then blue sky again

Silver birches against a blue sky

The beautiful Galloway Hills

Up a steep path into the hills

Coltsfoot lined the path

Forestry rubbish!!!

Looking bleak but lovely

Sadly we couldnt find the path off this track to make it a circular so had to return on the same track

Pussy Willows

To finish our lovely walk-Crossbills!

Kirroughtree Forest 20th March 2010

We decided on a walk at Kirroughtree and drove to the main carpark at the visitor centre-big mistake! There appeared to be a bike do on , so we turned tail and headed for a quieter carpark. Much better, we had this area to ourselves.

Moss draped trees.

Toad in a puddle.

We stopped for lunch at a picnic table on our walk and caught a brief glimpse of a pair of bullfinches.

Tree lined path

Orange peel fungus?

Reflections in the loch

Trees growing on nothing just rock

Farm through the trees

Coins jammed in a stump

Lovely views towards the Galloway Hills

Old gate

Lovely light through the trees

Mid March in the Garden

Brown Hare in the field

A Reed Bunting just outside the gate, could get very good pics though through the window.

Brambling in the front garden

A pair of Red Legged Partridges in the field

And then just by our front gate

Common lizard sunning itself on the front wall

Snowflakes

Crocuses wet with morning dew

A bumblebee on the heather, I think it has mites!

Loch Ryan Coastal Path Mid Section 13th March 2010

A lovely day so decided to walk the middle section of the Loch Ryan Coastal Path, the missing link as we had walked either side of this stretch. We parked in the carpark just north of Cairn Ryan and crossed the A75 to walk up the lane.

Signs of spring, catkins against a blue sky.

A view across Loch Ryan to the North Rhins and home.

Looking towards the mouth of Loch Ryan.

Plenty of birds in the hederows up the lane

View over farm gate towards the North Rhins and the mouth of Loch Ryan.

Info boards along the way...

...explain Loch Ryans role in the second world war

Looking back down the hill towards the lighthouse at Loch Ryan

The path is clearly marked.

Every available bit of water was occupied by frogs and newly laid frogspawn.

Another info board at the top of the hill.

Stone wall

Wartime remains

Pretty high up now over Loch Ryan, watching the ferries come in from N Ireland

Stone carved with names

More frogspawn, sadly quite a bit had been laid in puddles and was doomed as they had already dried up.

The Stena HSS doing a handbrake tun into the loch!

This little pond was alive with croaking frogs.

The track towards Glennap

The other side of the valley. The Loch Ryan coast path meets the South Ayrshire Coast Path near here.

Back down towards Loch Ryan and the weather not so good now, just pockets of sunshine glinting on the water.

One of my pet hates-balloons in the countryside, especially near the coast!

Back down the hill we now start to gt the sound of the new Stena port being built.

Sunshine and blue sky again after a brief shower.

The new port being built, the ferries will nolonger be coming into Stranraer.

Looking back up towards where we had just walked.