It isn't often that we have snow here in Exeter, in fact 3 times in the last 25 years! As mentioned yesterday, I got up before dawn, dressed myself in everything warm that I possessed and made my way at first light to my hide in the nearby Alphin Brook. As I got myself ready with the snow gently falling I sat almost in the icy water and prepared for what I hoped would be a real treat. It was!!!!! I had to wait though, in fact until way after dawn when at around 8.30, there he was right in front of me. I quickly focused in on him the best that I could, hoping not to disturb him. Here are the results.

He is eating a Bullhead sometimes known as a Millers Thumb – Cottus gobia. The light was not too bad and I used my Pentax 200 lens so that I could get a satisfactory shutter speed.  Photos in the snow are a whole new world for me,but even though it could be better I am quite chuffed.

 Later on at 1715.

After posting the Kingfishers this morning I continued to watch the Redwings devouring the cotoneaster berries back at home in the back garden. Suddenly a Song Thrush arrived to join in. You might think that this is not a big event, but it certainly is here in Exeter. We rarely, if ever get Song Thrush – Turdus philomelos in the garden and I can hardly remember one in the back garden before, in 25 years, so I am really pleased to report it here today. Honestly, and I know I have said it before, but when I was a boy we saw Song Thrush pretty much as a daily occurrence. I don't know how commonly seen they are where you live but here, well, it's quite a garden event. The RSPB describes the Song Thrush as a familiar and popular bird whose numbers are seriously declining, (their words). I would say that this is a serious understatement and would really like to see them address this decline with some serious study.