Sunrise at the Floodplain Forest
![Sunrise at the floodplain Forest](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180149-17-12-2017-640x340.jpg)
Pink, Orange light spread out over the still frozen Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve; Golden tendrils from the sunrise, spreading out across the flooded waters, highlighting the browns of winter. Behind me the sky was on fire over the farm buildings.
![Sunrise over Old Wolverton cottages](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180140-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
Sunrise at the Floodplain Forest
I’d made an early start on my patch walk today, released from the duty of looking after our puppy for a few hours (he’ll feature a lot in the future on these pages I’m sure – in fact as I try to write this I am struggling to do so with him lying on my lap, a laptop and a lap dog – he’s a Labrador and in no way a lap dog – don’t mix too well).
As I wandered through the reserve, the number of teal has noticeably risen, and their piping call echoed about the now bare mud. It was joined in the soundscape of winter on the nature reserve by occasional loud crashes as sheets of ice crashed down into the spaces left by the receding flood waters.
![Young Mute Swan in Flight](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3616-2-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
The cold made the day one for sitting inside hides, rather than wandering the rubber paths, the light not allowing for much unstabilised photography as well. And with that in mind I spent much of my time photographing the local ducks and Egrets as they visited the Viaduct hide.
![Mallard](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3652-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
![Little Egret](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3697-3-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
![Wigeon](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3712-2-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
Sorry this is a late posting due to family commitments this afternoon so this will mainly be photos from here on.
Bird Photos
![Egret and Swan](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3651-2-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Cormorant coming in to land](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3742-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Appearing to hover - Cormorant](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3744-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Crashing down - Cormorant](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3757-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Wading Little Egret](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3758-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Little Egret in Flight](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3777-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Wings Forward - Mallard flapping](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3778-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Mallard mid Flap](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3780-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Island Egret - Little Egret stood on island, surrounded by gulls](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3784-17-12-2017-Copy-640x427.jpg)
![Black-headed Gull landing](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3791-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
![Canada Goose](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3795-17-12-2017-640x275.jpg)
![Mallard swimming (male and female)](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3816-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
![Cormorant in tree](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3841-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
![Buzzard in Flight](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3864-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
Landscapes
![Stilt Pits](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180151-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
![A Swollen River Ouse](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180152-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
Experimental
![Coot Head Shake](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3676-3-17-12-2017.jpg)
Panoramic’s from the Day
A few panoramas of the Floodplain Forest NR, the middle one at Sunrise.
![From the River - views over the Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Floodplain-Forest-Panorama-2-640x206.jpg)
![Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve at Sunrise (sun is over my shoulder)](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Floodplain-Forest-Panorama-640x139.jpg)
![Holy Trinity Church from the Ouse Valley](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180157-17-12-2017-1-640x217.jpg)
Holy Trinity Church
Just a few images from different angles of the church at Old Wolverton.
![Cardiac Hill, the path to Holy Trinity Church](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180160-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
![Through the Trees - Holy Trinity Church](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180161-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
![A view to the Front Door - Holy Trinity church](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180162-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
Other Photos
![A Frozen Canal](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180138-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
![Golden Sunrise on the Grand Union Canal Old Wolverton](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180139-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
![Sunrise over Manor Farm Fields Old Wolverton](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180141-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
![Manor Farm buildings at Sunrise](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Landscapes-P1180146-17-12-2017-640x428.jpg)
![No trip is complete without a Konik Pony photo - Konik Pony eating grass, beside path](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Birds-IMG_3859-17-12-2017-640x427.jpg)
![THE NORTH FACE Dryzzle Jacket - Review](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/THE-NORTH-FACE-Dryzzle-Jacket-Review-IMG_3615-15-12-2017.jpg)
![](https://usercontent.one/wp/www.viewsfromanurbanlake.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IN_SUPPORT_MIDBLUE_RGB.jpg)