Across The Pond

A view from the bridge across Pitville Park lake. Winter has really arrived now.

Water Tree

A tree reaching for the lake in Pitville Park.
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Little House On The Park

How about a house with one of Cheltenhams largest open spaces as a front garden? Not enough for you? How about a garden pond that just happens to be a boating lake? Still not enough? OK, how about an 18 hole golf course in your front garden? No? What's wrong with you?!

This little Victorian red brick house has all three. It faces on to Pitville Park, the boating lake and, just beyond that, the golf course! This house stands out from the crowd too. All the other surrounding houses are made up of row upon row of terraced housing, that all face away from the park. Talk about bad planning.

I'm glad to see the owners have got chairs under the front porch to take full advantage of their extra special front garden.
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Lakeside

Today a photo taken by Phoebe's mum, P. Hope she doesn't mind me using it! This is a view of the lake in Beckford Nature Reserve. I haven't been there but it looks a lovely spot for a walk.

Sorry for the lack of visits from myself to your blogs. Its the long Bank Holiday Weekend and we are spending it catching up with visiting friends and family. Shame I have to work today but that's the way of the world! Enjoy your weekend.

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Mind Play

Cheltenham DP is back after a little break for the festivities. I hope you all had a great Christmas, I did, and I hope Santa brought you everything that you wanted. Its a bit of a struggle getting back into the routine of life after all the fun of Christmas. I'm back at work tomorrow and then we get a day off for New Year. All this partying is taking its toll!

I thought I'd test you all with today's photo, to help get your Christmas addled brains back into gear. Who can spot what is going on in this shot?

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Seeing Double

One of the swans on Pitville Lake. As you can see from another park photo, Christmas and life have got in the way of new photographs.

Although I love the festive season I'll be glad when things get back to normal. One good thing - I've nearly finished my Christmas shopping. Only a few things left to get, to then give to Santa, for him to put into Phoebe's stocking! I have still got Christmas cards to write and post, but I'll do that at the weekend. Best thing about Christmas? The works party! And that's tonight! Ours is at a hotel close by, so I can walk home and no need for a taxi - more money for drink! The downside is going to work tomorrow with a hangover, but we'll all be in the same boat. I guess Friday will be a-go-slow day!
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Two Moorhens

Another photo from Pitville Park. These two are just a couple of the many moorhens that can be found around the lake. The habitat there is ideal for them - water, long grass and reeds, and plenty of insects, snails and seeds for them to eat. According to the RSPB (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) website there are an estimated 270,000 breeding pairs in the UK. These breeding pairs are resident birds and they seldom travel far, so once you've got a pair they stick around!

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Swan Song

I'm not that brave as to get that close to a swan, they can be quite feisty, I used the zoom! On Tuesday I went for a walk round Pitville Park. It was a bright, crisp afternoon and my camera was working overtime. There was so much to take in - joggers, cyclists, dog walkers, kids playing, a music video being filmed (more on that another day!) and plenty of wildlife. Back in July I told you about the swans on the lake and how the female of the breeding pair had been killed by a fishing hook, and that the male had been left to raise the nine cygnets. Well I can report that dad is doing a great job. The cygnets are as big as their father now and they have almost all of their adult feathers. An extra bonus for the swan population of Pitville Lake is that this is the male of another breeding pair. The lake now has twelve swans and counting!
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Swans A Swimming

The lake in Pitville Park has had swans on it for ever, well it seems it, but sadly the female of the last breeding pair died back in June. She had swallowed a fishing hook and this caused her death. It is now left to the male swan to raise the nine cygnets that they successfully hatched this year. It is a real shame that this swan died like this, especially as fishing is banned on the lake at the moment. Here's hoping the young swans thrive and over time help to increase numbers on the lake.