Embracing Winter: A Walk by the Dam with Birds

Last night, there was a change in the weather as it was the first night my car hadn't frozen over. Feeling a little less cold, I decided to take a walk around the local dam. I remembered hearing news about a pair of Mandarin ducks had been spotted on the lake. These ducks, known for their vibrant colours, aren't often here. Sure enough, I quickly spotted them perched on a small branch that extended over the water. It was quite funny as the branch swung gently back and forth like a fairground ride. The ducks seemed unfazed by the movement.

Visitors had left a lot of bird food out as it's been so cold. A robin sat quite happily in the bushes, ready to swoop down for the food. It's difficult taking photos of birds as you don't have much time before they fly off.

I saw a flock of Canada geese congregating in an area of mostly frozen water, unaware that just down the lake, there was lots of unfrozen water. The other ducks did not communicate this information to the geese!

When I returned, eventually, the Canada geese had discovered the open water and had moved further down the lake.

Just down the road from the dam is a supermarket. They have introduced children's shopping trolleys to help keep shopping fun for the little ones. Today, a trolley is in the middle of the lake on the ice. I don’t think a child had thrown it there. It's more like the local yobbos. I've done a spot of magnet fishing in my time. If I had my magnet with me, I could have maybe got the trolley out, but I returned home for a warm glass of mulled wine instead.

This post is for #sublimesunday inspired by @c0ff33a and #beautifulsunday initiated by @ace108.