Straw's Bridge

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, we set out in warm sunshine. Today, we shivered along towards Straw's Bridge in a foggy gloom and temperatures several degrees lower. But we were pleased when we got to the lakes as one of the first things we saw was a lone Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus).

A native of the Nile Valley and sub-Saharan Africa, they were introduced to Britain as ornamental water fowl in the 18th century and escaped to form small populations around the country.

The Swallows (Hirundo rustica) are back too. As we walked around the lake, Swallows and House Martins were swooping across the water, sipping from the surface with expert flying skills. Some Swallows, having had their fill of water or insects, were perched in a nearby willow tree. An unusual sight, Swallows, in a tree.

Arriving from Africa and finding themselves in a rather chilly Derbyshire, must have been a shock to the system for these poor little birds.

They say 'One Swallow does not a summer make', that certainly was the case this morning.