The Reading University Lakes in Early Spring

Zoe and I haven't been round the Reading University lakes much recently, put off by a combination of the cold weather and the spectre of bird 'flu.  However, today started off bright and sunny and I managed to get Zoe to switch off her PC and we were up there before 11am.  There was still ice on parts of the lakes after a clear, cold night. A flock of gulls was standing on the ice in the middle of the large lake and there were the usual mallards, swans, coots and moorhens in the water around the edges.  Zoe gave the latter some bread.  I had to remind her not to let them get too close to her and we deliberately avoided those parts of the bank that were covered in droppings .  I took a few photos, including this one of a coot: