Morning light

We've survived to half term! Ben now has ten days off and I don't have to get up at 6.15 for nearly a fortnight - such a lovely thought. The sky was fairly clear this morning, so after I dropped him at the coach I headed down to the river to catch the sunrise. But there was a stubborn bank of cloud on the eastern horizon and it just didn't happen.

I still enjoyed my walk, especially as the kingfishers were very active and I had several good views of them. All the other usual birds were around, including piping flocks of long-tailed tits, fishing herons and the soaring sparrowhawk. Just as I was walking briskly back to the car the sun appeared above the cloud, and brushed all the autumn trees with gold and copper - quite breathtaking. 

The roadside plantings are amazingly vivid this year - particularly the Wild Cherries, Norway Maples and Narrow-leaved Ash, the latter of which which are the most glorious deep red. By contrast the native woodlands are still largely green, with just the field maples beginning to turn gold. It'll be another two or three weeks before they reach their prime!