Buckie Bottle in the Trees

An empty bottle of Buckfast tossed into the trees in the Serpentine Walk in Lower Largo.

Just in the week when BBC Scotland broadcast an investigative documentary into the social ill-effects of the consumption of Buckfast Tonic Wine, I spotted an empty bottle in the trees. Part of the problem with Buckfast (also known as Buckie, Wreck the Hoose Juice, Commotion Lotion and Liquid Speed) seems to be the very high caffeine content along with the alcohol. It is associated with anti-social behaviour particularly in Scotland. The bottle has been used as a weapon.

It is made by monks at Buckfast Abbey in Devon and I remember a visit there as quite a young child with my parents. (Photo detail - Wikipedia)

Frost on Sedum

Yesterday morning there was a sharp fost and it transfomed the seed heads of the Sedum spectabile.

A close-up of the frost crystals. (Click picture to enlarge)

Eider Ducks

High tide and a pair of eider ducks have found a piece of dry ground at the base of a post in Lower Largo harbour

Wood Mouse

A little wood mouse helping itself to food put out for the birds.

Cormorants

The cormorants usually perch on the rocks opposite the pier but on Sunday they were perching on the harbour posts. They are larger than the similar looking shags and can be distinguished by the patch of white at the throat. The adult has an orange spot below its eye. (Click on above picture to enlarge and see this clearly.)

I was fascinated by the recent HSBC cormorant fishing advert. This is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained cormorants to fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan and China, as well as other places throughout the world.
To control the bird, the fisherman tie a snare near the base of the bird's throat (though this isn't shown in the advert!!). This prevents the birds from swallowing larger fish, which are held in their throat, but the birds can swallow smaller fish. When a cormorant has cought a fish in its throat, the bird is brought back to the boat to spit the fish out. Although, it was once a successful fishing industry, it's mainly practiced today to impress tourists. (Information from Wikipedia)

A juvenile cormorant with white underparts.

A cormorant in typical pose with its wings outspread to dry.

A walk in the snow

The disused railway line - good perspective!

The snow has now largely disappeared leaving a slushy mess, but these are a few images of Sunday's walk in the snow.

Largo Law

Blackheaded gulls on the pier.

Gritless in Fife!!

Fife Council hit the National news last week, being the first Council to run out of salt and grit. I was highly amused by this cartoon, published in The Courier newspaper on Sturday showing Fife Council workers standing round a salt cellar, saying "Is that it then?"