Sunday Morning Bike Ride

Birdsong and brightness - the two things which I immediately notice outside this morning.

I set off about 8am, the glorious sunshine encourages me.

At the junction at end of this road I turn left, the road then climbs quite steeply through and beyond a nearby village.

Looking across the strath during the climb. The folly can be seen in the centre, standing grey amongst the many white farm buildings dotting the hills.

Over the top and I reach the reservoir. Wild geese are honking loudly here.

The favourite gate post.

Copper hedge, green fields and red corrugated iron barn.

After this point I follow some new-to-me roads. They're nice enough but rather unremarkable and I don't bother to stop to take any photos for a long while.

By this point I'm starting to head back towards home. This lovely little beech tree catches my eye - a couple of little beech nuts still remain on the branches amongst the swelling leaf buds.

I stop off at the nature reserve and pop into one of the bird hides which affords some nice views of the loch. There is a heron in the middle distance on the far left of the photo.

Branches, I just thought they looked nice through the letterbox shaped window of the hide.

Snowdrops carpet the woodland floor. I can hear woodpeckers drumming.

Then straight back home along the cycle path, passing to the north of the folly (I passed to the south of it on the way out)

20.5 miles (I remembered to switch my bike computer on this trip!).