FENLAND FREEZE.

This morning the fine snow fell like icing sugar falling out of some gently shaken, giant cannister and the temperature was ... brrr ... cold! Birds with fluffed up feathers looked larger and flocked around the bird feeders. Their favourite food on the varied menu being the suet pellets (also, as I discovered a favourite of a much larger animal ... my dog!)

Suitably chastised and chased away from the bird feeders we eventually headed out into the winter white of the fen landscape just as the snow flakes got bigger and began to fall faster.

It was wonderful to walk in what seemed like virgin snow, though close inspection of the paths showed that other walkers and their dogs had been out earlier in the day and ... even someone on a horse before the snow got heavier but there were plenty of birds about.

<<< along this tree lined track there were mixed flocks of blackbirds, starlings. pigeons and other smaller birds that though disturbed by our presence moved only a short distance away, then moved again as we got closer.

The reason for this I soon discovered, was the large numbers of rose-hips that had softened in the recent freeze and made easy eating. 

With all other food sources in short supply, they were so eager to feed, that our quiet progress did not cause much of a threat. It was a lovely sight to see so many wild birds.

This footpath bridge leads over a fen dyke and though mostly frozen the water level was much lower than it has been over the last three weeks. I saw water birds along the dykes.

Very close to this bridge there are buildings full of long disused farm machinery. Old wooden boarded trailers, that are now sadly decaying, replaced by lightweight metals.

This once, red painted, metal shed end has been re-coloured with a striking green algae that in this harsh, bare branched and white winter land, stands out in dramatic contrast.

Compare the above with the last photo I took today of a fenced in sub-station ...

Modern electronic equipment has over the years, rather dominated our rural landscape with unnaturally, angular, metal structures and long lengths of cable, that spoil so many of my photographs. As an ex engineer I rather admire them, and the technology that enables us to live in our modern, super speed world but as a naturalist I despise their intrusion into the natural, unpredictable shapes of natural growth.

And yes ... even in that first photograph of this post, that track was man made, the field and dyke systems were the result of man restructuring the landscape, but for me ... better that than living in a city!