A cold, bright, misty, frosty morning on Rockford Common, perfect winter weather. I love the ethereal quality of the light on days like these. Ibsley Common in the afternoon after the cloud has rolled in.
On the farm, Posie, Pippin and Billy, the Dexter cattle, at dawn.
The sun makes its first appearance over the trees.
An early morning Buzzard at the top of a birch tree.
Above the car park at Moyles Court looking into the west over Blashford Lakes.
The log that has been cut to make a seat for enjoying the view is covered in frost.
A closer look at the ice ice baby.
In the old gravel pit the puddles have turned to ice sheets.
Looking across the birch trees in the Dockens Water valley to Whitefield Plantation on Ibsley Common. The red of the birch trees is highlighted by the early sunshine.
Across the gravel pit.
A New Forest pony choosing the choicest pieces of a gorse bush at the edge of our path. It’s hard to imagine that there are choicest bits of prickly gorse, but she seems to think so!
Two large birch trees on the ancient earthwork that marks the eastern edge of the gravel pit.
Perfect colours – one of the larger birch trees on Rockford Common. The cut bracken, the sky, the tree, all softened by the misty light – breathtaking.
The frost is so heavy here it looks like snow.
Looking down Big Whitemoor Bottom.
Two New Forest Ponies appreciating the morning sunshine after a cold night.
Cloud shapes in the ice.
Climbing up onto the earthwork and looking back down onto Big Whitemoor Bottom from the other end.
Back where we started in the sunshine now.
A couple from our afternoon walk on around Ibsley Common, the weather has turned and the photo opportunities are much reduced.
Looking towards Linwood over the Dockens Water valley.
That perfectly aligned tree looking down to Digden Bottom.