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Winter on the Blackdown hills.

I consider myself lucky
08/01/2014
I consider myself lucky to live so close to both the Blackdown and Quantock hills. In fact the Blackdowns start less than a mile from my front door and often, when time is short, I find my way up there. So it was recently when I found myself with a couple of spare hours. OK, the sky was the colour of gun metal and the temperature hovered around freezing but at least it wasn't raining. I decided to visit Otterhead lakes, an old sporting estate on the top of the hills that now supplies water to the surrounding villages. The grand house has long since gone, torn down & it's remains sold off and of the original seven lakes only two are now visible. Home to a host of water birds, fish & insects, along with the occasional deer, there is always something to capture. Walking down through the woods the air turned colder and by the time I had set up my tripod & framed the shot, the first flakes started to fall. I watched as the once clear air filled with snowflakes. After a few second of listening to the absolute silence I fired the shutter. The moment was past, time to pack up, race back home & dry my equipment.
Otterhead lake in the grip of snow