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Message: <blockquote data-quote="halftwo" data-source="post: 1679322" data-attributes="member: 45720">Winter's GripMore snow overnight had frozen to the remains of the re-frozen slush, forming steel-hard, knife-sharp ridges along the ruts in the lanes.An ice-blue rice-paper-thin sky shouted light above the ineffective orb of the sun, and a slight breeze squeezed tears to freeze on the numbing cheek.Scant life showed; but four Yellowhammers pushed ahead of me along the edges of hedges, in company with Blackbirds. Further out in frozen fields: corvids and Stock doves. Along the river the low-reflected sun and, twinned just above, the sun itself, blinded. Gulls - Black-headed and Common - flew owl-like over the meadows. From alders icy needles of sounds squeezed themselves between hat and ear - Coal tit and Treecreeper; and the soft pecking from a Great-spotted woodpecker betrayed its presence: scarlet-pink vent coloured shockingly and festively in the monochrome shadow.Goldfinches intent on seeds fed quietly; a Wren hopped along the ice of the ox-bow's shore; a Nuthatch, incessantly unsilent, energetically searched in the beeches whose exploded seed-cases still clung to its twigs.A Sparrowhawk, lazily flap-gliding to tree tops had Jackdaws nervous and a Jay squawking a protest. By the mill-stream's unfrozen water seven Snipe probed the banks, head-deep in frosted ooze. Six Golden plover in a tight group jetted overhead. Lapwings, ever-moving in search of useable pasture, flapped low over snow - reflecting light on their rusty vents.  A knowledgeable dog-walker with a giant of a dog stopped to watch Snipe - and told of Goosander and Woodcock nearby - tomorrow's walk sorted, then.</blockquote>

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