Baby, It's cold outside

I woke up this morning to find hungry birds (nothing unusual there) and a frozen canal. 

As I looked out of the window the lead swan forced his way forward through the ice and made a little channel for his mate to follow him to the bank. 

As soon as the ducks saw me they flew to the bank to be fed. 

This is my favourite duck couple. They are invariably seen together. I'm told that they are quite old - see the colour of his beak? It is more blue than yellow. 

We call her the 'the lady with the bad leg' - see the way she is holding it? She limps quite badly and instantly recognisable. 

When I went outside to feed them I found another visitor at the gate. This is a lovely surprise. The geese usually prefer the grassy slopes that surround the local lakes. There is often a huge flock of geese in the local field. We often hear them flying over the house but they are infrequent visitors. 

Stay safe little ones!