Cuckmere and the Ouse valleys

A bitterly cold morning, just before dawn at the Cuckmere where most of the meanders and the scrape were frozen over. This extreme weather had caused the waterfowl to collect in the ice free river in huge numbers.

A Mute Swan makes slow progress through the ice of the meanders.

Redshank in the foreground with Mallards, Canada Geese and a group of Wigeon taking off in the background.

Two pairs of flying Teal. The wonderfully coloured speculum of the males just showing.

The icebound scrape, with the sun just on the horizon behind the cliff.

The biggest group of flying Cormorants I have ever seen.

Both these photos are too blurry, but I just like the splashes made by the feet of the Greylag and Canada Geese too much to exclude them. After this my hands were too cold to take any more photos. It was an unpleasant walk back to the car.

Later in the day, after warming up, I drove further west over the Downs to the Ouse, the next river valley.

The marvellous Goosander near Cliffe bridge in Lewes.

Down river to Tide Mills to see the equally fantastic Serin.

Dunnock.

Stonechat.