A Bitterly Cold Afternoon at Alton Water Park, Shotley Peninsula

It felt as though the temperature was several degrees centigrade below freezing: there was an unforgiving wind from Siberia.

However, we wrapped up warm and ventured out for a short time to enjoy the sunshine at Alton Water Park and Anglian Water reservoir on the Shotley Peninsula near Ipswich. There were several pairs of Egyptian Geese (photo above): we find we are seeing more and more of these.  

 There was a lone Great Crested Grebe swimming and diving, swimming and diving, and looking very streamlined without an elevated crest.

The sunlight was remarkably bright and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. 

 These are some of the Wigeon who were floating near the shore.

 

We checked the tree that usually has good bird feeders, but there was only one feeder today with a few nuts in the bottom. However, as we drove out of this part of the car park, we came across a lovely Song Thrush (thank you, Juliet, for your help here: I often have difficulty telling Song and Mistle Thrushes apart!). 

On such a bitter day, it was good to see some early Daisies, and to remember that spring cannot be too far away - despite the forecast!

I was surprised to find molehills so close to the water's edge, 

but perhaps the damp soil makes digging a bit easier...

In the course of some poetry research last week, I learned that these are not seed cases, 

but rather the globose heads that bear the fruit of the Plane Tree. 

An exquisite downy feather.

If I was a duck, I would hang on to feathers like these until the temperatures rise!

The Egyptian Geese took off...

...but the Wigeon and Coots stayed in their rafts near the shore. 

We walked a little way along the reservoir wall (below), but soon retreated for a more sheltered spot. 

 Here is David before we turned for home...

There was a small flock of birds in a tree by the car: they were in shadow and it was hard to photograph them, let alone see what they were. They seemed too rounded for Sparrows and were not the right shape for Chaffinches. David and I separately came to the conclusion that they might be Redpoll. I have lightened my photo considerably since it was almost a silhouette. Do let me know what you think...

Wet Weather on the Shotley Peninsula

It has been a very dark, wet day, as you can see. My photographs have suffered not only from the lashing rain but from a graininess that occurs in these conditions. I still haven't worked out which setting to use for wintry pictures or for photos taken through the car window, so yet again I'm sorry that these are little more than record shots. 

The photo above shows the view from Shotley Gate, at the end of the Shotley Peninsula which straddles the rivers Orwell and Stour on the east coast of England. I was looking across the Stour towards Harwich.

Eurasian Wigeon

There was a small flock of Wigeon on the foreshore.

You will find some stunning photos of these birds here.

Wigeon were named Anas penelope by Linnaeus. 

They are dabbling ducks.

Every so often there was a sudden flutter as birds came in to land. 

A single Redshank touched down rather gracefully ...

... and surveyed the scene.

You can make out the red legs!

A couple of Turnstone were foraging. You may have to take my word for these! 

I had visited this spot once or twice before, and it is a place I shall return to in better weather!