Ermine

I was happy to see this stoat in it's winter jacket this afternoon. It wasn't exactly the weather for winter camouflage so he stood out like a sore thumb!

I saw the heron again today, searching for food on land due to the ponds being frozen. I watched it go and stand under some fallen branches, beneath a bird feeder and I wondered what it was doing when suddenly it darted forward and plucked a blue tit from the feeder and swallowed it! A few minutes later it did exactly the same thing again. I know they will take ducklings if they get a chance but I've never seen one do that before! I did get a photo of the heron with blue tit in beak but decided not to post it here to save the more squeamish amongst us :-)