Westhay Nature reserve is always worth visiting. Former peat workings have been tranformed into a large expanse of open water and reed beds, providing a haven for a wonderful variety of wildlife. During the winter months Westhay plays host to one of nature's most spectaular gatherings. Huge numbers of starlings come to roost amongst the reed beds every night, forming enormous flocks. Estimated figures are between 6 - 10 million birds.

Over the course of the winter months we have been enjoying frequent sightings of treecreepers. These tiny and busy little birds seem never to come to rest, making them a challenging photographic subject. The best result being rather blurred and distant..

However, one rather dark afternoon we were most privileged to have an intimate encounter with this delightful bird who was no more than a few feet away and paused for a few moments allowing a rather more detailed shot. Not perfect due to the very low light conditions, but quite satisfying nonetheless.

The open landscape to the southwest presents some striking winter sunsets. Our daily walks have given us the opportunity to record the apparent path of the sun as it moves through the ecliptic. These images to the SSW are just a few weeks apart, yet the sunset has shifted appreciably to the west.