Eastbrookend Country Park

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Spent a few hours walking around BARDAG Lake today at Eastbrookend CP. It was really quite pleasant the sun was shining and even though the temperature was just below freezing it didn't feel cold. It is also brilliant the way a layering of snow can change the look of a site you know well. There was only a handful of people about too.

Amazing with most of thelake frozen this pair of Great Crested Grebes were doing a short mating ritual!

Grey Heron flew over

Quite a few Redwings around along with Blackbird and Song Thrush

Another or the same Grey Heron flys by

Great Crested Grebe

Coot enjoying the afternoon sun

At last a Water Rail bit distant and walking away from me, but after about three hours I found one!

Water Rail

Water Rail running away from me!

Apparently this yellow area is where I should have been looking!

Egyptian Goose

A Grey Wagtail brightens my walk

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Still plenty of snow as we walked around Gorsebrook Park this morning which Chloe enjoyed racing about in. Pleased to get good views of two Grey Wagtails in The Gorse Brook and an Egyptian Goose was the first I have seen in the park.

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail feeding in The Gorse Brook

Egyptian Goose

A Snowy Dog Walk

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Overnight we must have had 4" or so of snow. Coco was a little reluctant to go out while Chloe was raring to go and really enjoyed it

Chloe at full speed

The Gorse Brook was still flowing well and two Grey Wagtails were seen along with a Grey Heron

Snowy view across part of Gorsebrook Park

Dogs playing chase

Coco

Another snowy view

Coco

Chloe

A view in black and white

and back to colour again

Sunny morning dog walk

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Walked around Goresbrook Park with our two dogs this morning. The Gores Brook was running faster than usual and there was some lying water on the grassland which the gulls enjoyed. Gull numbers must have quadrupled, mainly Black-headed, with a few Herring and at least three Common Gulls which are not quite as common as there name suggests.

View across park from Goresbrook Road end

View across park from Goresbrook Road end

A Misty Morning

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Walking the dogs this morning at our local park Goresbrook Park had a different feel with low lying fog.

A misty morning

Misty start at Goresbrook Park

Goresbrook Park

A misty dog walk this morning

Low lying mist changes the whole atmosphere of the place

Goresbrook Park, Dagenham

Sissinghurst Castle, Kent

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27the April - Sissinghurst Castle is one of the most famous and delightful gardens in the British Isles.

Sissinghurst Castle garden was created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson who transformed the ruins of this Elizabethan mansion and gardens in the 1930s. The castle tower dating from the 16th century is virtually all that remains of the grand Manor House.

People come from all over the world to see the Garden which is administered by the National Trust.

The garden is divided into a series of rooms filled with informal arrangements of plants around a theme: the White Garden, the Purple Border, the Rose Garden, the Herb Garden, the Lime Walk, and the Cottage Garden.

The White Garden with rosa mullingani has cascades of white flowers and is surrounded by other white and grey plants.

View from the tower

View from the tower

One of many borders full of colour

Robin I suspect many have sat on this bench to eat their lunch and given a treat

Dagenham Chase

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May 11th - Two common terns showed well on Chase Waters, unfortunately there was only one post in the water and they both wanted to sit on it!

Common Tern Chase Waters

The Conductor!

Common Terns Chase Waters

Common Terns Chase Waters

Common Tern Chase Waters

Common Tern Chase Waters

Great Crested Grebe Bardag Lake

Horse on Crowfoot marsh

Mallard family on Eastbrook Pond