With the current spell of settled weather, comes the sunshine and colder temperatures. The dry spell has encouraged the watermeadow to start drying out and the flood level is going down. The paths are still very muddy and Little Venice remains splashy, so I have yet to venture down there. The birds are increasingly in evidence fluttering around, having turf wars (especially the house sparrows) and generally tuning up for spring. They are starting to look resplendent as their plumage seems to sharpen and brighten ready for dating and mating.
Although we most often see the Pied Wagtail hopping on roof tiles or tarmac, Mr C spotted this one flying up the garden from the watermeadow. It turns out that Pied Wagtails live in a variety of habitats, not just urban settings, but farmland, wetland, grassland, and coastal areas. They mainly eat insects but will eat seeds and bird table food in the winter, which is probably what this one had his eye on.