West Hallam - Hungry Birds
w/e 03 December 2023
All of this week's
pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300.
It was announced this week
that 2023 is turning out to be the hottest year on record - but
it certainly hasn't felt like that as the last few days have
seen a sudden drop in temperature with many frosty mornings!
Birds have been struggling to find something to eat so we decided
on a trip down to the Straws Bridge Nature Reserve to provide
a little sustenance.
Word must have got round as this was the reception committee
as we pulled on to the car park.
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I parked away from the birds but the car that followed us tried
to drive where the birds were standing. They were very reluctant
to move and it was a case of "Thou shalt not pass!"
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After feeding them they followed us Pied Piper fashion and tried
to help themselves to corn from the box we were carrying. They
were indeed hungry birds. When we managed to escape we rounded
the lake and went under the former railway bridge to the two
smaller lakes in the Nature Reserve.
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After passing under the bridge the smaller of the two lakes which
lies to the right of the path appeared devoid of bird life and
we spotted only one small bird in the shallows half way down
the right hand side.
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It was a similar story on the larger lake to the left where two
birds were swimming in the middle of the lake. The majority of
the birds knew that their best chance of food was near the car
park at the side of the main lake so that's where we returned.
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We continued the circuit of the lake passing several frost covered
benches, some of which had notices encouraging people to sit
and chat. But that wasn't going to happen on such a cold day!
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The picnic area too didn't look very enticing. Shielded from
the low lying sun by the trees the ground was still frost covered
at the warmest (for "warmest" read "least cold")
part of the day.
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Although popularly known as Swan Lake, much of it was inhabited
by Canada Geese.
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That is until they all took off and flew to find pastures, or
lakes, new.
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Returning to where we started the "swan in chief" was
still standing his ground on the car park but now, appetite satisfied,
seemed intent on making sure I got his best side.
BONUS PICTURE:
I told you it was cold. Today we woke up to this in our back
garden!
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