Rake

There wasn't the cover of snow that I expected this morning. I walked up Muddiesdale heading for the top of Wideford Hill. It seemed a good idea to have a wander around the golf course while it was free of flying missiles. A hare started up and away and then I saw the grey and black form of a hen harrier as it hunted over the rough.

A female was further up the hill and a red grouse called from the snowy moor. Later I got a short-eared owl, they're not so visible now with short daylight hours, and some migrate to milder mainland locations. The snow was deeper near the top. I watched a land rover crawl down the track cautiously. It stopped and I had a talk with the farmer about the conditions. From the top of the hill there were some amazing cloudscapes.

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