Kes Shelter

My son-in-law came over this morning with my daughter and Frankie dog and we all had a nice nursery walk. I hope they enjoyed the Guinness that they promised themselves and that our Irish blipmates have survived the festivities and the excitement of Ireland's Six Nations win on St Patrick's Day. :)

It has snowed all day here in Essex. After lunch I went for an invigorating walk at Lodge Farm. As I got out of the car I spotted two men with two lurchers in the distance. I was hoping to see hares but when I saw them I willed the hares to stay out of sight. Kes was hunting in the bitter, snow laden, easterly wind but then disappeared behind the new barn. I always creep round the corner of this barn in case he is in the nest box where I saw him once. There he was! :)

A  meadow pipit dropped out of the sky and landed on the track in front of me, exactly as one had here last time it snowed. I captured red-legged partridges trotting along the field margins. I've added a rook in flight to extras.

As I passed the farmhouse the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance flew over and I captured that as I always do. I love that AW169 helicopter. 

I then caught sight of two men with four lurchers walking east. (Extras) I carried on along the track and saw what I had hoped to see to the west, a hare haring along safely in the valley. I got a photograph but it was too far away to be worth posting.