Constable Country in the winter sunshine!

We had a choice... go to Norfolk for some birding or stay more local and visit somewhere.

Well, it was a thick thick frost; the duvet was warm and I had to face scraping the car... which took forever ;)

We headed off in daylight for Flatford Mill.  En-route Pete suggested a detour for some birding at Fingringhoe Wick.

Loads of birds about out on the mudflats exposed by the tide being out.  All too far out for pictures but one of the two Mute Swans obliged us at the beginning of the walk.

Avocets, Curlews, Shovelers, Geese and many any more!

Just a flavour for where we were:

And from there we went onto Flatford Mill.... somewhere again I'd never visited before.  We had some rather tasty soup and roll with a cuppa before setting off into the wonderful sunshine for a walk.

This is the view where Constable painted "The Haywain"

Before heading off we had a drink and some rather splendid Coffee & Walnut Cake and Victoria Sponge. Well done to whoever the cake maker at Flatford Mill is but they are to be congratulated... :D

The day was still glorious but now the sun was starting to go down so we headed off - we went through Dedham Vale which is a pretty village in Essex.  There's a great deal of beautiful countryside in the county of Essex.

 St. Marys Church

At the end of all the pews were carvings in a variety of pictures... these three rather took my eye!

and that was the end of the day's outing.  It was a glorious day with really warm sunshine, and a sparkling blue sky - and it's still January - wonderful.