Frozen

I finished refilling the bird feeders this afternoon, walked back into the kitchen to fetch the camera, and by the time I reached the lawn again this squirrel was already up in the apple tree, heading for the bird seed. It froze in the hope that I wouldn't notice it, which gave me the opportunity for a portrait photo. I then (kindly) pretended that I hadn't in fact seen it, and turned to look in the other direction - and by the time I turned back it had gone.

I have a few other shots from the day - some lichen, a snowdrop, and a magpie collecting suet pellets from the lawn - but I've gone with this one because I like the rim lighting catching the edge of its coat.

The squirrel, by the way, wasn't the only thing that was frozen - it was perishing in the garden. Showers of icy rain blew through every few minutes, but despite the wet, the birds were so cold that they were out feeding whenever they got the chance. I must order some more bird food before I go to bed tonight: the forecast for the next few days is wintry, and I've a feeling we're going to need it.