Whooper????

A good walk along the Tyne from East Linton to a bit beyond Hailes Castle in the glorious sun and fairly biting wind.

Nearly stepped on a small mouse. Not a house mouse, possibly a wood mouse. Saw two wigeons, or something along those lines.

These are whooper swans, which we passed in the car. Not the best picture, as we were hungry and in a hurry, and because I pulled over in a bad spot, and because I slammed the door when getting the camera out and about 50 or so flew away, and because they were in front of what can only be described as a dump (it was a dump).

Reasonably confident that they are whooper swans, although the differences between them and Bewick's are subtle. They've just arrived from Iceland.

An afternoon of housework followed, and an evening of laziness beckons.