There is a small lake in the corner of the field above. Today the ice across its surface was just thick enough to take the weight of a small stone I threw on to it. I wanted to hear that ringing echo I associate with the frozen duck pond in Hartley Wintney, when I was a child!
We walked on frozen mud, around the lake, and a gangling heron flew up and flapped its way across to the other end of the wood bordering the field.
The water in the burn which runs off the lake hadn't frozen. I stood for a few minutes to take some photos of the reflections of the grasses and trees in the blue water. I didn't see the big brown hare, who must have been sunning himself on the other side of the burn, until he got up and lopped off through the wood.
We disturbed the heron again, and then a couple of mallard. They always fly up from the same spot, every time we walk this way. Our last wildlife spot of the day was a deceit of lapwings, working a further field.
Lucky you! My wildlife spot is usually a buzzard as they are really common around here and I always feel a bit of a thrill. The robins seem to go through phases of being visible and then hiding away, in the run up to Christmas I counted nearly ten on just one walk x
ReplyDeleteIt's the hares that catch my breath! They are such fabulous creatures and there are quite a few around here. And the deer in the wood, currently with very dark brown coats and ridiculously white bums, which you can see bobbing up and down as they bound away through the wood! Very visible moving targets unfortunately! I try not to think about it - there are some over-zealous gamekeepers around here. :o( A x
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