Red clouds in the morning...

...shepherd's warning. Well we are supposed to be battered by the tail end of Hurricane Gonzalo later tonight!

I was up ridiculously early to take Chris to the station - he's working in Herefordshire today and had to catch the 6.10 train. I pondered returning to bed, but decided perhaps I should make use of my early start and see if I could photograph a sunrise. Since Alex finished college I've been very lazy and haven't been out to photograph one for a long time. I nearly didn't go, as there was very little hint that it was going to be anything special.

Usually I go to the river, but today I decided to head to Dogsthorpe Star Pit. This was once excavated for brick clay, and in the 1980's was proposed as an extension to the waste tip next door. However, conservation organisations successfully fought the application, and it's now a Wildlife Trust nature reserve. This view shows the extensive reed bed (which is enjoyed by bitterns and marsh harriers) but there is also species-rich calcareous grassland and ponds with rare stoneworts. The glorious pink clouds didn't last long, but were stunning while they lasted.

The rest of the day was less exhilarating, though I finally got around to making some surprisingly spicy apple and chili chutney. It'll definitely go down well in our family, who are all chili fiends, but I may have to be careful offering it to guests!