The cold, overcast, weather continued throughout the day until we set off late in the afternoon for a forest drive, and someone turned on the light, so we headed for Hatchet Pond where we would likely see a cormorant on a post. In the event, the bird remained in deep shade and we were diverted anyway by a man and little girl walking down the slope with the intention of feeding the ducks.
Jackie photographed them and the swan, donkey, and a gull bidding for the food.
She also caught the cormorant on the far bank as she pictured another donkey.
This is my gallery of the scene. The fist brandished by the man in the fourth picture is an attempt to shoo off the donkey. These animals appeared from nowhere. The woman in the last picture used much more voraciously violent vehemence to banish them all.
Apart from chatting to one donkey seen in my gallery above, she
focussed on gulls in flight
and the swan on the water.
She also caught donkeys in silhouette against the sun.
After I photographed the lower sun tinting the thatched roof
and the pony on Furzey Lane,
we diverted to St. Leonard’s Road where we waited for a promising sunset; the first two images of which are mine, and the third, Jackie’s.
This evening we dined on succulent lemon chicken and wholesome savoury rice with which I drank more of the merlot.
Mm chicken! Great photos, guys, I always encourage feeding ducks with frozen peas which have some nutrition in them and bread does not.
Thanks very much from each of us, John. That is a good point
You’re welcome. 🤙🏻
Feeding the ducks is such a fun activity for a child. I love the golden ripples photo.
Thank you very much, Liz
Welcome, Derrick.
Beautiful pics. Are donkeys bothersome, or just looking for attention?
Thanks very much, Julie. They just seek attention and food
Your photographs and dinner are both wonderful, Derrick. You and Jackie are both multi-talented.
Thank you so much from each of us, Donna
Very good use of the light by both photographers.
Thank you very much from each of us Tootlepedal
The first sunset photo is stunning.
The head image is cute: a donkey, a swan, and a gull, but no ducks.
Thank you very much, Dolly
You are very welcome, Derrick.
Love the hungry animals. Good deed for the day, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Pat
A fabulous collection of photos, and of course I adore the donkey photos and the birds in flight …
Thank you very much, Ivor
So many wonderful photos in this post by both of you! I love all the gulls in flight, the golden ripples and ducks, Jackie talking to the donkey . . .
Thank you so much, Merril
Lovely captures today … so nice to see the sun out 😊
I love the picture of Jackie talking to the donkey. Bread is probably not the best thing for the animals, but if it’s spread around so everyone in this hungry crowd gets a little, it would probably be fine.
Agreed on both counts
What an interesting house! What’s the story there? The house looks so neat and still natural! Why are there animal decorations on top? Love them!
Thank you very much, Ilze. The house is a pretty standard traditional design and may be not as old as it looks. The thatched animals and birds are a kind of trademark of the thatcher. Each one identifies him. There are companies who make them for the roofers.
Oh, wow, since you gave me the name for these “thatched animals,” I googled and found out they are made of straw! Amazing! Love them!!!!
What is the region where this house is?
Hampshire’s New Forest National Park. Such houses are all over the West Country – e.g. Devon, Somerset, Cornwall. They need re-thatching every 30 years. The new is often put on top of the old, so the history of the house is told in the layers.
It’s nice to catch the setting sun this time of year.
Thank you very much, Alys
Delightful pictures all. My two drongos still call for their morning cheese, but my whistles attract bulbuls, weavers and a robon now. The pices of cheese get smaller the bigger the ‘crowd’!
Thank you very much, Anne
OH! What beautiful sweet joy-bringing photos, Jackie and Derrick!
Looks like many precious creatures were hungry for food and hungry for attention! 😉
I wonder what the donkey had to share with Jackie? 🙂 What a sweet sweet photo!
(((HUGS))) ❤️❤️
Thank you so much from each of us, Carolyn XX
What a stunning display of photos. I love photos of birds in flight, and the concept of a thatched roof is very interesting.
Thank you very much, Eugi
You’re welcome, Derrick.
What a great day for pictures.
Thank you very much, GP
Lovely photos, Derrick. Is that a donkey, a dog and a bird on the thatched roof? Or, have you done some photo trickery?
I think the big one is a donkey. Thanks very much, Steve
How did they get on the roof?
I have the same question 🙂
By thatcher’s ladder
By thatchers’ ladder
What a wonderful set of images you both produced today. I loved the little donkey.
Thank you so much from each of us, Sue
What a wonderful day of feeding the ducks and enjoying nature Derrick…. 🙂 xx <3
Thank you very much, Sue XX
It does look bl..dy cold… But as the Belgians say (And I might have said it before) there is no bad weather, only bad clothes…
I just read a post (questioned our custom when I was a child in Holland) that says bread is bad for birds and ducks… Odd. The ducks on the Amsterdam canal didn’t seem to mind.
Cheers Derrick
Thank you very much, Brian
PS. Having said that, cold or no cold, the scenes of your everyday life are so… filled with nature and peace… Very nice…
Thanks again, Brian
Your pictures are lovely. I always enjoy animals with sun haloes
Thank you very much, Robbie
That’s a funny looking duck, not sure it’s very good at flying.
🙂 Thanks very much, Gary
That was a beautiful set of photos from both of you. That swan looks almost as big as the little girl! I love the one of Jackie talking to the donkey.
Thank you very much from each of us, Lavinia
Excellent photography
Thank you very much, Geetha
I love that a collection of wildlife pitched up to be fed
Thank you very much, Sheree
Great shots in mid-winter, Derrick. Ducks are fun to feed… Geese on the other hand can be a little obnoxious. Love the donkeys!
Thank you so much, Dwight
Beautiful photos from both of you!
Thank you very much from each of us Riba
I appreciate Jackie’s skill with photography in this post. It seems to me that I have watched her talent grow in the past couple years. Such a pleasure to see the things that separately catch your eyes. 🩷