Beast Of The Field, Fowl Of The Air

I'm no judge of horseflesh but I think this spirited beast is a cut above the usual nags seen through the hedge at the horse sanctuary. I loved its elegant gait and the way it held its tail high.

A good day for watch/click on the birdies. Firstly I shot a song thrush, which strangely wasn't singing. The tinkling bell song of a goldcrest caught my attention as we walked around the lake and a pair of mallards took flight. After lunch I photographed my first redwing of the season high in an ash tree. A red kite swooped low over the glasshouses and a male kestrel was perched on the boilerhouse chimney.

PS I meant to mention that while I was in the queue for M&S I spotted a sundog (parhelion) and pointed it out to the shoppers. In folklore these are a sign of good luck. Everyone agreed that is what we need right now. This on the day that our own vaccine from our city of dreaming spires has been approved, allowing us to believe that there really is light at the end of the Covid tunnel. 

PS I have been told that the horse is a Gelderlander, a stylish carriage horse versatile enough to work on the farm, bred in the Netherlands. It is one of the 'stars' at the horse sanctuary.