Spirit of the river

This is an attempt to make a virtue of the miserable light conditions today. A heron takes to the air from its station next to the river Kent where it was silently watching for a fish.

If today was the shortest day of the year, at times it also felt like the darkest. The cloud did clear for a while in the early afternoon, and there were touches of blue sky, but not when I went for my lunchtime walk. A contrast from this time last year when the Kent was frozen over and the estuary had ice floes sliding downstream. This weather is better for the birds, particularly those that feed in the marshes and open water. Following last year's prolonged freeze there were far fewer kingfishers in 2011 than is usual on the Kent, and on New Year's Day this year I found the frozen body of an emaciated heron along the lane leading to Silverdale Moss.

The best thing about today was that it was the last working day for me until the New Year.

ps I'm not taking a break from blipping - not yet, anyway!