Signs of spring

The sun came out (briefly) and we decided to walk down to the Thames and back through the nature reserve. Sun disappeared even before we'd got our shoes on and it was quite cold but it was good to get out and moving rather than falling asleep on the sofa.
The countryside was still mainly brown and grey. A few trees have buds on them. We saw a grebe and a pair of exotic looking Mandarin ducks on the river but no cormorants or herons today. There were some nice reflections of the reed beds in the nature reserve but the pictures were spoilt by an orange plastic temporary fence in the distance.

These lovely buds and flowers caught my eye towards the end of the walk. I like the fluffy texture.