After dropping Julia off at work (she works at one of the few centres in Nottingham that wasn’t closed today) I went to look for a sunrise. There was a small one, but as I chased it down it became duller, smaller and less impressive, so I didn’t bother.
I did manage to get a picture of a Red-legged Partridge in front of a backdrop of oilseed rape.
In some ways it’s a picture of all that’s wrong with modern farming – a non-native gamebird against a background of monoculture. As it’s the only decent photograph I’ve taken in the last seven days I’m not going to dwell on that thought. It’s a sign that I’m getting better and have now recovered enough brain power to spare some for photography.
I accidentally photographed a pheasant and missed a hare too.
I spent most of the rest of the day back in bed sleeping (I’m still convalescing, after all) and when I finally got up Number One Son made me an excellent beef and horseradish sandwich using meat left over from tea last night.
We aren’t popular: it seems Julia had earmarked that for tomorrow night’s tea.
If you think I’m unpopular now wait and see what happens when she examines the biscuit barrel.

Can you see the pheasant?
Your photos are really beautiful. I envy your talent. Mine are mostly of the iPad variety.
Thank you. I like your photos, though I am biased because I like eating mushrooms. 🙂
We have oilseed rape everywhere here and we are all suffering from hayfever. It is at least a useful crop and it is good to know we are self-sufficient in it now.
I’m lucky that it rarely seems to trouble me. I liked it when they started planting linseed. Nice restful blue. 🙂
Oh yes! That is very beautiful! We sometimes get fields of borage here – that’s good as well.
Yes, borage is good. 🙂
The rapeseed gives me asthma at certain times of its development but I like the cheerful colour. I saw a thin stretch of it along a field edge today and wondered if it had been left for wild life purposes.
Towards the end of the growing period I can tell when we are driving past, even in the dark, but otherwise it’s no problem. Round here it is sometimes possible to drive along and not be able to see another crop. That’s a bit too cheerful for me. 🙂
I agree.
🙂
Two great painterly shots
Thanks Derrick
Good luck replacing the roast beef and biscuits, or cookies as we call them here 😉
I just got back from shopping – Phase 1 complete…
Over the weekend I was in south Lincs and was confronted with the field after field of rapeseed. I do eat rapeseed oil and I don’t think it causes me hay fever but it’s such a waste of land etc.
We are self-sufficient in rapeseed oil production, which is good, but it doesn’t seem right when you see it in massive blocks.
Good to hear we are self-sufficient!
Yes, it would be better if they had other stuff growing with it, even if for convenience it was still, say, the odd half a field…
Yes, that would be good.
So you and your son raided the meat and biscuit barrel! Hope you can get to a shop soon. 🙂
Yes, I do see that pheasant among all the bright yellow. 🙂
He raided the meat – I was just an innocent participant. However, I am solely responsible for the lack of biscuits. 🙂
Oilseed Rape is not particularly common in this neck of the woods, which is A Good Thing from my point of view because it plays havoc with my hayfever and asthma. Great punchline btw. 🙂
She’s in bed now, I may be able to get to a shop tomorrow if I’m lucky. 🙂