Frozen Morning

By Paul Cecil | Published December 19, 2011

The rising sun sky this morning was but a brief moment of brightness. A bank of low cloud prevented more than a glimpse of what was promised, but not delivered.

Down at ground level the ducks were making the best of the frozen pond.

A cormorant was lurking in the shade of a tree, before taking to the air and carrying away the last of the sunlight.

Back on the pond, the moorhens were putting their splayed feet to good use.

The gulls just huddled together, shivering in the cold morning air.

It's certainly winter. :smurf:
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Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.

This entry was posted in Birds, snow, water birds and tagged , , , , , .

19 Comments

  1. Cynthia23 December 19, 2011 at 11:12 pm #

    Wonderfully beautiful photos! Really so pretty today! :up:

  2. RobinL December 20, 2011 at 1:12 am #

    Words, yes it clearly is! Glad there was enough water left for the ducks to wash their feet!
    That last one of the Moorhen is really good! Looks like it's checking it's makeup!

  3. derWandersmann December 20, 2011 at 3:12 am #

    Nice ice!

  4. serola December 20, 2011 at 7:12 am #

    WOW! For some reason pictures looks this time more colorful :up:

  5. derWandersmann December 20, 2011 at 3:12 pm #

    The red sunlight, Sami.

  6. cakkleberrylane December 20, 2011 at 9:12 pm #

    Beautiful colours and composition!

  7. Mickeyjoe-Irl December 22, 2011 at 12:12 am #

    The ducks like they're debating who's going to be foolish brave enough to go in first.

  8. derWandersmann December 22, 2011 at 3:12 am #

    You know, that's always amazed me … these ducks, and other birds, too … with their ridiculously unprotected feet, stand about on ice, and other chilly things that are cold enough to freeze the arse off a brass monkey, and seem to suffer no damage. How can this be? If I stood barefoot on ice, I certainly would notice it.

  9. SittingFox December 22, 2011 at 9:12 am #

    I see that winter has finally reached the tropical south 😉 Great shot of the moorhen and its reflection.

  10. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    Sami, it's that early light.

  11. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    dW, great question…. there's part of an answer here.

  12. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    Lois, thanks!

  13. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    Robin, thanks! I liked that moorhen shot as well. The ice made for great reflections.

  14. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    Adele, thanks. It was a brief freeze. Temperatures back up again now. 🙂

  15. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    Cynthia, thanks!

  16. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    dW, ice=nice! Thanks :smurf:

  17. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    Erwin, thanks!

  18. Words December 22, 2011 at 10:12 pm #

    Mick, I think they decided collectively that it would be a moorhen who went in first 😉

  19. Wulpen October 19, 2012 at 8:10 pm #

    Beautiful shots there are :up: