Barnacle geese jousting at Frampton Court lake

The drizzly rain began to lift after lunchtime, so I drove towards the River Severn and visited Frampton Court lake. There were large dark clouds with intermittent short sunny intervals and short sharp showers of rain, which later became hail.

The lake was very wintry in its colours, lacking in its normal vegetation but fuller than I'd seen it before. I didn't expect the abundant bird life which gathers there in summer, but nevertheless there were still many birds; coots, various duck species, swans, pigeons, two oystercatchers, a merlin, a buzzard, crows, six cormorants and a plethora of both greylag and barnacle geese.

I enjoyed standing listening to the singing of some birds and the squabbling of many others. At odd moments birds would take off and circle the lake and the meadows of the Court, before returning to land with big splashes.

The Barnacle geese seemed most belligerent towards each other and are obviously getting ready for mating, with posturing being the order of the day. This picture gives a fair idea of some of the commotion. I shall return very soon as I really enjoyed being out in the air again and watching nature at close quarters.