Interrupted

With the visit to the Nature Reserve, 

mean't walking & exploring the new walkway

I walked the majority of this 

& even though

 I saw the original path in sight,

 my walk was completely interrupted.

But, although I nearly completed the walk 

& I could see the emerging pathway,

I  was not able to walk pass the male swan,

 protecting a nest of 7 cygnets.

The closer I got,

 the more the Swan would react

 by hissing & movements towards myself.

Although the male

 may have been protecting on the mainland,

the female was just the other side of the nest,

on the waterway.

Definitely good parenting skills to be admired.

Two Swans were protecting & overseeing their babies.

Whilst one remained on the water, 

the other one on land was ensuring 

no one was going to pass by!

My walk may have been interrupted,

but it was definitely worth back tracking.

A good end to my Sunday afternoon.

At Last

At long last,

I had the chance to get out for a more longer walk.

I managed to get to Shapwick Heath,

located close to  Street & Glastonbury.

Instantly, the weather produced showers,

which seem to appear from nowhere.

But, it was still enjoyable,

 & I was still able to appreciate

some peaceful & tranquil surroundings

Signs of the Autumu season were much in evidence,

from fungi, acorns, to the changing colour of the bracken.

Even so, insect activity was still rife.

Butterflies were still fluttering around,

& I even stumbled on a small toad in the undergrowth.

Eventually,

  later in the afternnon,

any glimmer of blue sky

suddenly turned very dark & grey!

There was definitely no escape from the gathering rain.

It was certainly a brisk return to the car.

Serene, White & Delicate.....

Such a serene scene of the regal white Swan....

And the Lily.....

With the delicate Blackthorn blossom

To the delicate blooms of wild fowers

Feathered Friends

With a couple of walks at nearby Hestercombe Gardens,

I encountered the resident Swan.

So beautiful & graceful on the water,

but I'm aware that they can have an agressive nature.

As I walked alongside the lake,

the swan followed aswell,

finally emerging from the water in hot pursuit of me!

♥ ♥ ♥

I'm sure the Swan must be fed by the staff.

Most probably thought I had more food!

As my pace quickened,

 the Swan returned to the lake.

With the walk on Friday,

as I walked around,

a Robin would reappear at intervals.

On one of these occasions,

the Robin dared to get closer & closer,

a perfect opportunity

 to take photos of a favourite bird

 I love to see.

Can honestly say I never felt alone on either of these walks.

In a Flap

Unfortunately,

I had to wait until today for the first walk of the New Year!

I aimed towards the Somerset Levels, stopping briefly at Burrow Mump.

I was not disappointed to see the swan above, which was certainly exercising it's wings,

& what a wing span!

It was quite a dull damp day with the weather,

with the Levels in flood, attracting much bird life.

With the mood of the weather,

 just thought it was appropriate ,

to transform some of these images into black & white.

A Winter's Tale, Part 1

This past weekend took me to a favourite local place,

Hestercombe Gardens.

An anual membership was enabling me to

enjoy taking photos from each changing season,

& today was no exception.

Although reminders of the Autumn,

with cold weather & the occasional snow shower,

both seasons seem to mingle together!

For the South West of England,

this cold weather with the hint of snow was certainly early.

But, other parts of the UK is suffering,

 even more significantly with the snow!

The gardens is situated on the edge of the Quantock Hills,

& because the main town is in a valley,

the small amount of snowfall we had,

still lingered here,

 but it's bitterly cold,

with no signs of improvement at the moment.

But, with the elements of the weather,

the gardens certainly take on a new demension.

A complete contrast to the previous seasons,

nevertheless,

the scenes were still stunning.

The cold weather was leaving everything literally frozen,

even many of the plants had lost there vitality.

Such as this fern above....

And yet, the waterfuall was a surprise.

The noise it produced,

 left no one in any doubt this was in full flow.

Only in recent previous weeks,

before the rain had set in,

this had been just a trickle.

Now, everyone was walking briskly,

 & wrapped up warmly. . . .

Part of the lake was slightly frozen, but with the sun now lower,

caused a beautiful landscape before meeting up with the formal garden.

Leisurely Walk

Thoroughly enjoyed a leisurely walk at gardens not too far from home.

The gardens at Hestercombe,

with a huge area of countryside,

 with an abundance of wild flowers,

 providing a layer of colour within the landscape,

 just beautiful!

A waterfall cascading down from quite a height,

Swan & duck quietly preening themselves,

Lovely weather,

 with a wealth things to appreciate & see.

More to follow. . . .