Pulborough Brooks.. the sun shone

Had to take Mum to the doctor's this a.m. and it was beautifully sunny with blue skies!  I managed a quick trip to RSPB Pulborough Brooks around lunchtime.  Dozens of birds coming in now - all the usual suspects and great to see some Pintails.

I stood watching a Peregrine Falcon being mobbed by a couple of crows... there is a resident female at Pulborough.

I went down to the usual viewing platform to see her land in her favourite spot in the nearby tree.  Not long after she'd been there she took off for a hunt.... we then lost sight of her but not before she'd sent up all  birds from the water!

Just a few pics.... mostly the birds are far too far out to photograph so a very small number of pics today!

On the feeders outside the visitor centre..

As I entered the reserve a magpie was enjoying the sunshine...

Grazing cattle..

Difficult to know where the hair of the cattle ends and the grass begins :D

Not what I'd expected to see... I think it's The British School of Motoring!

One of the views of the reserve!

The sun didn't last but it was great whilst it did.. Pleasant stroll albeit short.

A wander through the streets of London and some music

Having put the clocks back there was an extra hour in bed on a Sunday morning.  The forecast said rain and we were off to a concert.  As a result we didn't rush.

We left, after some considerable time spent whilst I scraped the ice of the car.... while Pete watched with words of encouragement ;)

I'd decided to take just one camera (strange how that felt!!) given it could be wet..  Well, it didn't rain but it was very dull light again.

For OC...

Must admit it was just as well this shop was closed...it was rather exciting seeing all that choccie though :)

The GPO Tower (now the BT Tower)

A skyline of cranes..

 Some of the cranes were still being erected!!  There are some men at the top of this one, waiting for the next section to be 'craned' up..

The facade of this building was being kept upright with scaffolding whilst the main body of the building had been demolished.  We can only assume that there's a preservation order on it.

and so to Wigmore Hall.  Today we were listening to the Dante Quartet - a very talented group whom we've heard before... the programme:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - String Quartet in F K590 (1790)

followed by

Antonin Dvorak - String Quartet in F Op. 96 'American' (1893).

Excellent performed and most enjoyable...

Still no rain and we got home in the dry - albeit it was exceedingly cold!!

First day of winter... it wasn't good!!

Had something to do in Chelmsford today.  Left Harlow in brilliant sunshine (after having scrapped the snow of the car) and arrived in... yup...rain!!  Deed done I headed off for Audley End... the weather started to improve but by the time I got out of the car, the clouds had come over again and the wind was whipping the leaves about and very very cold!

Had a wander, sheltered under some trees and the rain lashed down, and then decided some lunch would warm me.

The first picture of the cricket has nothing to do with today... I found this on the rear window of the car when I arrived at my mother's the other day.. no idea it was there or for how long a journey it had had!

And some Autumn colour at Audley...

Tomorrow will be musical... IF the weather's kind, we might even get some more autumn colour in the London parks!!