A few more shots of the ice and wildfowl from the different lakes yesterday. It is interesting how the various lakes seem to have ice free patches each dominated by different species.
Above birds on Ivy Lake, the main species here is Gadwall with smaller numbers of Wigeon, a few diving duck and Coot, the bulk of the Teal are also here, although they seem to prefer standing on the ice edge.

Meanwhile in the ice free patch around the main island in Blashford Lake contains most of the Pochard with a scatter of other species

Rockford Lake has a small area ice free by the south shore and this is almost filled with Coot and also has most of the Mute Swans.

You can tell just how cold it has been when the Dockens Water freezes over, the lakes, being still water freeze fairly easily, but the relatively fast flowing Dockens Water rarely does so. The picture above is of the Dockens just where it flows into the willows to the south-west of the Ivy South hide.

And now a few general views of some of the frozen lakes, above is Blashford Lake, I don't think they will be sailing for a while.

Rockford Lake, looking quite attractive in the morning sunlight.

Ivy Lake from the Ivy South hide, although there are Bitterns moving about in southern England you can see why they are not likely to stop here at the moment, all the reed fringed areas are frozen solid.

Ivy Lake from the screen on the rockford path, ice as far as the eye can see. Although the screen is quite pretty it does stress the birds forcing the wildfowl into small patches, increasing competition for food. The freezing of the Dockens Water could be especially bad for Kingfishers and herons, flowing water is usually what they rely on to survive in freezing weather. A lot will now depend upon how long this cold spell lasts.