There was promise in the air this morning. Sun rising over the pond, and blue skies overhead.
It stayed bright and at lunchtime I headed out into the fields. 
Overhead I could hear the weak but distinctive calls of buzzards. And eventually I located them. Six were in the air.
As I headed out further along the (muddy) footpaths, I spotted a pair of roe deer in one of the lower fields. It's a long while since I've seen the local deer, though I always keep an eye out for them. 
The biggest surprise though were a small group of goats, roaming free in a small wooded area along the edge of the field. Obviously farm animals, but very pretty and certainly not something I expected to see.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
gdare
28 Jan 2012Ha, it really looks like spring there. It started to snow here this morning :left:
Goats, I like them 😀
Words
29 Jan 2012Darko, it may look like spring but the temperatures are falling fast at the moment. It's nice though! Cold, but nice.
cakkleberrylane
30 Jan 2012Very spring-like indeed. The goats are wonderful. What a nice surprise!
SittingFox
30 Jan 2012Originally posted by Words:
It's freezing up here :smurf:
Six buzzards is quite impressive, especially when you consider how rare they were in the southeast only a few years ago. They've made an excellent recovery.
Words
30 Jan 2012Lois, that was the first time I've seen goats roaming there. It's turned cold again here, so the brief moment of spring is gone.
Words
30 Jan 2012Adele, it's a great spot for the buzzards but difficult to get close to them. I get my best near sightings on the road between Brighton and Eastbourne, but impossible to photograph from the car.
It's got pretty cold here too.