Ice crystal patterns in the frost on a car roof this morning

Birds at Cuckmere Haven yesterday: Canada geese, cormorants, little grebes, house sparrows, pied wagtail, robins, meadow pipet, egrets and herons, teal and stonechat.

It was a cold day and a fine muddy walk along the river.

Click on any picture to enlarge and scroll though.

Canada geese

Little grebes

Cormorant (European race sinensis ?)

House Sparrow

View to the coastguard cottages

Meadow Pipet on concrete post

One brave paraglider

Heron

Little Egret

Stonechat

Stonechat

Teal

Teal in flight

A gentle walk round Shabden Park, Surrey with Paraqueets and Long-tailed tits.

At http://www.ifootpath.com/wrapper?walkID=2412 is an excellent (and high tech') description of this walk, which there is no point for me to duplicate.

Today, bright, sunny and cold, the walk was accompanied by screeching parakeets high in the trees by this meadow.

They are colourful, noisy and alien.

We walked a slightly different, shorter route, south of the Star hill road with fine views to Banstead woods...

...and the meadow which boasts many native orchid in summer: Common Twayblades and Common-spotted Orchids.

At this point, this day, however, and in delightful contrast with the screeching parakeets and alarm calls of blackbirds, we heard the high-pitched, monotone piping of a flock of Long-tailed tits, high in the trees.

 Out of focus yes, but joyous to see a flock of these tiny birds after a sub-zero Celsius cold night.