Crime Lake at Daisy Nook

I’m at Crime Lake. Apparently no crime was committed here, but having seen the six lanes of motorway built through beautiful countryside, I doubt it.

It’s part of Daisy Nook Country Park. Daisy Nook isn’t the original name, but the name of an imaginary place which an artist was commissioned to paint. He based it on this place and the place took on the name of the painting. It really is a case of life imitating art.

There’s a Moorhen on the canal here:

Moorhen - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Its colours are spectacular:

Moorhen - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The Moorhen’s red eye ring matches the red base of its bill.

There are three Chinese Geese here, with ridiculously large basal knobs:

Chinese Goose - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

I love the pattern of subtle colours on their feathers:

Chinese Goose - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

There’s a noisy Robin on a branch. From this angle it looks like a sphere:

Robin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

This Nuthatch is so quick that I have to have my best reaction times to capture just this one image of it. The slate blue-grey and apricot-orange plumage and its eye-stripe are so clear in this low morning light:

Nuthatch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

There’s a Blue Tit coming in close, tempted by a few sunflower hearts. I can’t tell whether it’s a male or a female. Blue Tits would be able to though, as male Blue Tits have a bright crown in ultra-violet; a part of the spectrum birds can see but which is invisible to us:

Blue Tit - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It picks a sunflower heart up precisely and flits off:

Blue Tit - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A Coal Tit makes the same journey. There’s a flock of tits in a nearby bush in a holding pattern watching and waiting for their time to land at the food airport:

Coal Tit - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

High above me is a Carrion Crow:

Carrion Crow - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Its head looks black while its wings look iridescent blue:

Carrion Crow - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’s a very powerful beak.

As I’m walking back for lunch I hear a couple saying “The Heron’s here, look,” to one another. I look and there’s a juvenile Heron perched in the water:

Grey Heron - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’s a great bird:

Grey Heron - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Nearly back and there’s a Black Headed Gull on a ‘No Fishing’ sign.

Black Headed Gull - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

I don’t think it’s bothered about the rules.

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