Since I found out that there were long tailed ducks at our local beach, I have wanted to see them for myself.

So, yesterday, armed with my camera, after checking the girls, I went to look for long tailed ducks or Clangula hyemalis as they are known to their posh friends.

Please excuse the quality of the photos – they were a way off in the distance.

Long tailed ducks are a total delight. I was entranced and have now given them the honour of being on my Top Ten bird list.

They also quack when they’re flying which was very good value.  A proper duck. None of this silent Muscovy judgement!

The light was going fast but I was pleased I had seen the ducks and I also had the beach to myself too, which is always good.  I get very territorial about “sharing” an empty beach.

Feeling very pleased with my photographic achievement, I drove home with the car window open in case I could see a rather pudgy winter-coated Mountain hare in the scattald (hill).  Like Monster, they rather stick out this time of year.

This is where the hare sits most afternoons.    I think it is the front door to his “nest”. Apparently they don’t burrow.

A rare glimpse of Fair Isle on the way back (about 45 miles away).  It was very clear and we don’t see the island very often.

Happy little sheeple faces greeted me when I got home (Madge is behind, biding her time before her biscuit begging!)

Daisy asked me to help her move her horses over to their favourite field.

So I grabbed my camera, opened the relevant gates, walked down the hill to a good spot and waited.

Efstur and Dreki were the first to arrive.

They quickly ran down the hill – Dreki, the flying dragon!

Efstur had a lovely little bunchy-bottom canter.

Taktur was escorted by Daisy because he is a known idiot with form who is easily distracted by poo piles and then goes the wrong way which can result in panicking, running up and down the fence, threatening to go through it (he doesn’t jump).

Kappi kindly waited for his idiot of a friend.

They then galloped down the hill.

At full speed!

There was muchos prancing about the place.

Taktur spent a brief moment surveying his new-to-him-in-a-while Kingdom.

The others continued to prance about.

The stallion moment didn’t last long and Taktur quickly galloped off.

Back up the hill.

They all wanted to meet up over the fence.

Dreki was soon bored and mooched off again.

Quickly followed by Efstur.

Iacs and Klængur looked on like Statler and Waldorf.

And Haakon remembered why he hated them all – you can almost hear him saying “good riddance”.  Taktur bullied him horribly which is why they are always split up.

More prancing and exploring and Taktur forgot how to jump the stream so he stood looking a bit Billy No Mates!

So that’s some horses moved.

Another lovely ride on Iacs this morning with Daisy on Efstur.

Then out on Klængur (who appeared to be on a cocktail of hallucinatory drugs combined with adrenaline – I got off and walked home humming “Brave Sir Robin” to myself) with Daisy onTaktur.   Taktur remained his usual calm self while Klængur’s brain spontaneously combusted. Daisy and I have no idea what was going on.

After a quick lunch, and it was quite late for me, I went to check on the girls, Hetja and Brá (the Minions had been done earlier) who live in a good hill-park a few miles away.

I even climbed a bit of the hill, to give Brá her carrot.  There was a good view of Sandness looking over to Papa Stour with Eshaness in the distance.

Both ladies are very well and very happy.  This is a perfect field for them.

I had been told of some long-tailed ducks who had taken up residence nearby so I drove down to the beach, hoping to see them.

No luck, but I saw a Great Northern Diver from a great distance.

A guillemot in it’s winter plumage

and a shag a bit closer.

(and yes, I had to ask an expert to identify the birds for me! – I hadn’t a clue.)

I will return to look for the long-tailed ducks another day.  I quite like the idea of them and they  are rather smart from other folk’s photos.

Long Tailed Ducks © Richard Riley

And as for Klængur, the weather is turning now after some beautiful calm days, so he can have a rest and think about things. Maybe he will calm down.  Let’s hope so. He was very “high”.

An emergency dash to town (Lerwick) today as we had run out of hay and obviously needed more.  Unluckily it was a Bank Holiday so everything was shut, but luckily I thought to phone the hay supplier first to see a) if he was open and b) if he had any hay.  Huzzah – 7 bales left which I quickly nabbed.

To collect my bales, I had to be in town by 12.00, so I jumped into the van, said a quick prayer to the God of batteries and cold-starting, and off I went.

Phew!  I got there safely, collected my hay and then went on to the Street to see what shops were open.

Unsurprisingly none bar the Bank (deposited a cheque), the Post Office (sent off my thank-you letters) and one Chemist.

So, that was me.  Add a quick run around Tescos for emergency wafer thin dog ham (for the lunchtime tablets) and to grab any bargains (none I wanted) and I wended my way swiftly home before the the roads became icy.

(two swans standing on a rock – I should’ve taken my big camera, I know)

BeAnne had been waiting for my return so I took her for a walk in the hill.  Lots of ice.  Better in the hill than on the roads, though.

It was a lovely clear and calm Shetland winter’s day – just perfect for going for a ride, or two.

With me on Iacs, and Daisy on Efstur, we went out.

Our usual route. Efstur went very nicely and Daisy wants him to feel confident and have all the basics down before we change the route.

One of Efstur’s speshul skills is to halt when asked. Brakes are so important, possibly vital.

When they stopped, Efstur would get a small piece of carrot as a reward, which Iacs quickly homed in on and put in his request too!

I think we look like the horses in the Bayeux Tapestry!

With our ride completely, and everyone told they were good boys, we were about to walk home…..

… when Iacs spied something in the distance coming towards us.

Iacs: “I wonder if there are biscuits on board!”

This was a good opportunity for Efstur to meet the unusual.

Daisy told him it was all fine and he took it all in his stride even sniffing a small wellie boot!

This was my view on the way home from checking the Minions.  Not bad, eh?!