Freezing cold but very pretty

I only passed through the edges of the Russia Dock Woodland on the way to trying to find photographs to match up with my latest Rotherhithe heritage post but there were some good things to see. The channel along Waterman's Walk is looking particularly good with lots of water. I was very glad to see that the burned out motorcyle had been removed from the woodland walkway on the otherside of the channel.

There were birds in the trees - goldfinches (of which I took probably the world's worst photo), sparrows, magpies and great tits. In the reeds opposite the Stave Hill pond I watched a very entertaining blue tit for quite a long time. Blackbirds were turning over the leaves.

The ponds are looking good. The bulrushes are looking velvety, Yellow Flag shoots are coming up and the ducks, coots and moorhens were all noisy and active. Opposite the Stave Hill pond the reeds were spectacular in the sun and the bark on the surrounding trees was instantly eye-catching. A blue tit was making a riotous din in the reeds, and leaves in the shadow were still frosty.

I only walked through the margins of the park but it was good to see so many bright red berries giving colour to the walks. The honesty is looking very ragged but it is still there in patches. The few leaves remaining on the trees looked beautiful in the sun, and the remainder, swept onto verges or bright in the water provided a multi-shaped mosaic of colour. Lovely.