I am out on the Moss for the first time in weeks early on Thursday morning. The half light gradually lightens and finally well past nine the sun makes it up above the Gargunnock Hills. Midwinter has past but the mornings get darker for a little while yet even though the evenings are very slowly drawing out. The first thing I notice is the silence, huge and calming but quickly other bog inhabitants make themselves known. The birds know that it is past midwinter and are more lively than before Christmas, a couple of chaffinchs "pink pink" from the tops of birch, a couple of great tits churr away and a party of siskins wheeze overhead. The geese are back now that the grass is appearing from under the snow. Over 1000 pink feet feed in the field next to the Moss plus 9 greylags set slightly apart and more small parties zoom low to join them. One group comes in so low I can hear their whistling wings and the low grunts they make to themselves.
Once up onto the peat dome it is clear that the snow has gone or turned to ice. The ground is frozen rock hard around the edges of the moss but once out into the wetter areas it is wet underneath the thin ice and difficult walking.
I am out to check the rain gauge, a few days late but its the last reading for 2010 and so give us the total for the year. 80.5 mm for the December, a dry month which gives a total rainfall for 2010 of 1006 mm. Since 1997 this is the third driest year we have had at Flanders with only 2001 and 2003 drier. The bog needs a wet winter to fill up the the peat sponge but when frozen, the water just runs straight off so a thaw and a month or two of solid rain should do the job.
I move on, further onto the moss and the rising sun wipes the frost from the heather as it spreads across the bog. It is quiet, wide, beautiful and it is good to be back.
Afterwards I head round to the car park to see what state the public access is in. The boardwalk and tower are clear of ice and parts of the path but some short stretches are still covered in ice. It is passable so by all means go down and enjoy the snow capped mountains but please take care on the icy patches.
