First early morning walk of the year

Now that the daylight hours are lengthening (hooray!) and it is completely light by 7 am, I have resolved to take Tilly for a walk around the big field, further down the drive, each morning - or as often as I can.  So today was the first day of my new resolution and the weather has been kind!

There was a light dusting of snow last night and we woke to a wintery, almost-white garden.  Tilly and I set off down the drive, and almost immediately disturbed a couple of young deer, who silently bounded off, through a thicket of red dogwood, and into the field beyond.  We carried on, turning left on to a short section of the John Muir Way, and then off to the right, to the big field.  This photo looks back to Angus Wood and we have walked along the track at the top of the field.  The trees in this wood creak, and it is a dark and colourless place.  I always look to the south, across the fields to the Lammermuir Hills, and enjoy the light and space, which is in such contrast to the atmosphere of the wood behind me.

We walk down the east side of the field, whipped by an icy wind, and along the edge of a belt of pine trees, where the deer shelter.

And then back along the bottom, where the hare was still sitting in the same spot as the other day, when we passed this way.  It must be a doe, biding her time quietly on her form.  I have read that although the doe will give birth to all her leverets in one place, she then moves them, singly, to separate forms nearby, where she will tend and feed them in turn. By keeping them apart she reduces the risk of losing her brood in a single attack from a predator.  What intelligence at work.  I love it.  Hares are endlessly fascinating to me.  We saw five today, including this beautiful lady, with her bright, watchful eye.

Nearly home, and across the field I saw this lovely glimpse of a snow-dusted North Berwick Law. It's nearly five miles away, but you can see the whale bones (now reconstructed) gleaming white on the top.