List

Call me an 'anorak' if you like, but I do like to keep a record of all the different species of flora and fauna I come across.  'Life lists' as they are known.  It is amazing how many species you can count on a nice walk around your local area, without even trying.  There were a good many birds to be seen this morning as they found the milder conditions more to their liking.  Today, we saw:
House Sparrow, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Starling, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Wren, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Shoveler, Pochard, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Great-crested Grebe and Cormorant.  Quite a list of 31 considering we weren't even trying.
Today's picture is none of these however, it is of a very large domestic goose which has taken up residence on the lake of Straw's Bridge.

With the basic composition of a Greylag goose, the domestic, farmyard goose often escapes to parkland lakes.  This individual seems to think it is a swan as it spends all it's time with the Mutes.  It is rather splendid with it's bright orange 'accessories'.