October Red Admirals

This has been a very poor year for butterflies, but with the milder weather this week there have been quite a lot of red admirals about.

 Red admirals seem particularly fond of the valerian flowers in my garden.

Sparrowhawk

Strange to see a sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) standing on a pavement in Lundin Links, as I've normally seen them perched on a post or fence. I thought it might be sick or injured, as I got quite close to it but then it heard some small birds chirping in nearby bushes and off it went diving into the bushes in search of its prey.

Heron on Top of the Viaduct

 Spotted a heron at the top of the viaduct in Lower Largo.

 Stretching

In the Forth today.

Looking across the Forth today could just make out the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

A Tiny Mouse

A tiny mouse by the side of the path in Monsal Dale. Obligingly it stayed absolutely still as I took its picture.

Helicopter on the Golf Course

You know that there's an election in a few days time when a helicopter lands on a golf course and thankfully, it's not because someone is being lifted to hospital by air ambulance which was what I thought when I first heard it.

Helicopter after landing at Lundin Ladies Golf Course yesterday afternoon.

The Headstone Tunnel

Some years ago on a previous visit to Monsal Dale we found that the Headstone Tunnel was boarded up and there was no way through. Now it has been opened up and people can walk or cycle through. It forms part of the Monsal Trail.

Built by the Midland Railway it formed part of a main line rail link between London and Manchester.

 Partway through the tunnel. During daylight hours it is lit up.

Light at the end of the tunnel. Approaching the far end.