While up doing a badger sett survey on our land at Lumsdaine I was lucky enough to spot a couple of badger footprints at the entrance to a sett. The footprints are just to the left of the patch of sunlight. Like all of the mustelid family, which includes otter, stoat and wolverine amongst others, badgers have five toes. It looks like there are only 4 toes from this picture, but the smallest toe sometimes doesn't leave an indentation in rough ground. Lizy

Badger footprints outside sett

It's been feeling decidedly chilly the last few days, with sharp winds reminding us that winter is not over yet. The gorse bushes that grow around the western end of the Mire Loch, however, are not letting the freezing winds hold them back. Their bright golden flowers definitely add a bit of warmth to a cold walk. On a sunny day like today you can just smell the sweet coconut smell which the flowers produce, bringing back memories of warm, sunny days in May when flowering is at its peak, and the scent infuses the air. Lizy

Gorse Bushes