Pinocchio

I'd almost given up, at the point where the small group of snipe arrived on the frozen marsh.  They very neatly killed their speed before touching down, so they were clearly expecting the ice that awaited them.  Within seconds they'd disappeared into the reeds without a trace.  I just managed to get a clear shot of the straggler, Pinocchio, before he too faded into the reedbeds.

It was at least -6C again last night, and while the temperature reached 3C by early afternoon, I don't think the ice is going to be melting for a while at this rate. The southern side of our garden is shaded by a fence, and feels as solid as iron underfoot.