Sinking slowly to the horizon...

After a morning spent washing the kitchen walls again to make sure they're clean enough to paint, and an afternoon report writing, by late afternoon I was ready to stretch my legs. It was too late to go far, so the dogs and I headed off to some of the quieter corners of Ferry Meadows.

It had been grey and cloudy for much of the day, but for once I timed my walk just right, with beautiful low winter sunshine, which gradually descended to wards a cloud bank hovering over the horizon. I was delighted to come across a goldfinch roost in three trees. There must have been well over a hundred birds and the noise was quite incredible - a constant high-pitched chattering.

The sunset was superb, a fiery red ball in a sky painted with shades of pink, orange, gold and grey. If anything the afterglow was even more spectacular. I walked back to the car along the lake shore with ducks dabbling in the water to my left, and drifts of long-tailed tits, peeping sociably to each other, flying above my head. I'm sure I had a big grin on my face...

By the time I got back to the car dusk had set in, and I spotted the moon and Venus in the blue twilight, shining above the ancient horse chestnut. A fine end to my walk.