The cloudless blue sky encouraged us to go on one of our favourite walks this afternoon.  There were wild snowdrops along the lanes and in the woods, hares and pheasants in the fields, and various other wildlife and a few redwings but as usual we saw nobody.  We saw geese and swans on the little lochan which for much of the year is obscured by trees and tall grass. Today part of the rough grass had been cut in the foreground presumably as part of the landowner’s careful conservation for wildlife and especially for grey partridge and songbirds like yellowhammers.