Minus seven overnight. With the lochans likely mostly frozen, took the big lens plus new teleconverter in, with the hope the Long-tailed duck would be on the upper lochan and closer. He was but the extra focal length and user had less fortune with focus accuracy. More practice and/or a tripod required. Tried recording some video, hoping he'd dive. He didn't. Did take a short bit of video of a cygnet skitting about on thin ice.

Alistair's funeral this afternoon. Very much a celebration of his life, with loads of photos and stories collected together, along with a good number of other former colleagues in attendance. In his retirement, he'd spent the majority of his time on his croft in Scourie, his birth place, and he'd have occasional mentions from neighbour, and lapsed Blipper, Croft16, whom I finally met. Some great tales of his family, Navy days and more. We first met as Students on the HND Electrical & Electronic Engineering course at Inverness College, the two "old" troublemakers sitting at the back of the class. I was 23, and Alistair was fourteen years older. A few weeks into the course, with all his Navy and industrial experience, he left... to become a Lecturer! Another five years after that, when I became a Technician at the College, we were back together, in the same team, for a good number of years. It was always good craic and a pleasure to work with him, and just be in his company. Rest in peace Alistair.