More than the usual number of swans can be found waiting near St Helen’s Wharf.
The Swan Uppers – who normally catch and weigh swans as part of the royal swan census in July – would have their hands full if they arrived right now.
The black swan is still there – probably an escapee from a wildlife park and originally from Australia. The odds may look stacked against it but at one time the very thought of a black swan was a way of saying something was almost impossible.
Thanks to Helen P for this picture of swans walking on the river ice
and acting as ice breakers.
And thanks to Bob who sent a picture of coots in an increasingly narrow trench of clear water.
There are signs of milder breezes from the South – as shown by this weather vane down Checker Walk..
It should allow the black swan that has be come a feature near the Margaret Brown Gardens to return to its normal winter feeding ground. It does not seem popular with the white swans.
These geese are heading north. Birds normally migrate south at the start of winter. So this group must be heading back to their overnight roost.
In the second picture there are two sources of water vapor.
To the west, some newer smaller cooling towers – hardly towers at all really as they are no higher than houses – cool the water from the gas-burning Didcot B power station.
The larger cooling towers are part of the older coal-burning Didcot A power station. It only generates electricity between October and March – a peak demand period when it can run at a profit.
Didcot A will be decommissioned by 2015.
I saw a few broken branches underneath a horse chestnut tree and wondered whether somebody had been trying to bring down conkers much too early.
Then I saw more broken branches. It looked like vandalism …
Then I saw whole tree trunks… this fallen tree trunk was the other side of the River Thames.
This split willow was the other side of the River Ock.
The willow has already been cleared from the Ock Valley Walk.
But even though some of the evidence has been removed, there can only be one real suspect …
The wind.