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I wandered over to Stoke Park Estate at the beginning of my walk this morning but it was very wet underfoot and very slippery. There wasn’t much to keep me there other than a moorhen and some gulls fishing at Duchess Pond.

A black-headed gull has success with a small fish

The moorhen was quite bold and didn’t dash for cover

On the way across to Eastville Park I saw a song thrush but couldn’t get a clear shot.

Song thrush hiding behind the branches

There wasn’t a lot going on in the park either. The water in the River Frome was very high and the only bird I saw on the river was a cormorant.

Cormorant by Wickham Bridge

A kingfisher was busy around the lake and more cormorants (six in all) were keeping the fish stocks well under control. I could only see one grey heron,  which is quite unusual. The tawny owl was in its box but didn’t show its face any better than any other day.

The kingfisher was quite easy to see but challenging to photograph as it was always in poor light.

Difficult to catch the eye of the coot

… no such trouble with the cormorant

If only the tawny owl would show her face.

I heard the robin as I entered the park but it wasn’t until I was leaving that it popped out (to say good bye?).

My last blog before Christmas and so I would like to thank anyone who reads my blog and wish you all a very Merry Christmas.