Christine's walking & birds blog

Back in November, my car passed its MOT. The mechanic commented on it being "a clean car - for its age". My heart sank. He might as well have said that it won't last much longer - but then I knew that, deep down. Anyway, I drove home, determined to enjoy what might be its last year. Then came the cold spell - and the brake on the offside rear tyre froze, not unfreezing even when the weather grew milder.  Greger called out a man from the local garage, who arrived with an iron bar in one hand and a sledgehammer in the other. A few alarming bangs later - and the problem was solved. I'm mobile again! I celebrated my refound freedom yesterday by driving up the Dirrie More through the rain and taking a short walk across the dam - where birds were conspicuous by their absence. Naturally, today dawned bright and promising, with a hint of ice on the car windscreens and a snap in the air - and I had to stay in to cook Christmas dinner as that's what we'd planned.

However, my day was made when Greger pointed out that there were loads of small birds high in the big ash out the back and while scanning them in hopes of a brambling, I instead spotted a waxwing.

I managed to grab a shot through the window before the birds flew - and I failed to see the waxwing again despite frequent scans of the trees throughout the day. It's nice to know there's at least one still around; let's hope it remains into the new year.