Grey Surrey

After the glorious, almost uninterrupted sun of yesterday, today was dull, dull and grey.

I went with a friend to Painshill Park for which, on Wednesdays in January and February, there is no entrance charge.

Robins abounded and we seemed to see one every ten minutes or so. A flock of about 7 Long-tailed tits entertained us flitting through the trees. Two mistle thrushes called with their ummistakable "football rattle" sound, two pairs of Egyptian Geese were wandering about and we heard pheasant and a green woodpecker.

On what little water there was were Coots, Moorhens, Canada Geese, 2 Greylag Geese and a family of two adults and 5 young Mute Swans.

The ground was covered in several days' accumulated frost and, in some place, evidence of the snow flurries was apparent. The lake was frozen over and only a small area in the centre was clear to water allowing the faithful waterfowl some area for swimming and feeding.

We walked around the outer edge of the park (rather than the honeypot areas on the island in the centre of the lake), and over towards the watermill; the wheel was strangely white today!

The first view of the lake

and the same view back in August last year

The view from the Turkish Tent

and the same view in August

As we approached the waterwheel, it was obvious that the normal red of the ironwork was now silver -


closer inspection revealed the thick ice that was now coating the wheel





Around the other side of the lake and back towards...

the cafe for some welcome hot soup before heading off home.

It was great to get some exercise in good company and put the new camera through its landscape paces in bad light.