Spring Blues

I should have known better ... wall to wall blue sunny skies, Sunday and Mother's Day ... so why did I decide to go to Cliveden?  In my defence, I wanted some practise with my "Niffy Fifty" and shallow DOF on spring flowers, and felt that the National Trust managed estate would offer some good displays.

The SatNav took me across Windsor Great Park - a welcome change from my normal route apart from the Sunday cyclists who, quite rightly, needed lots of room before attempting to overtake. Then there were the queues round the outskirts of Maidenhead, and yet more queues to get into the Cliveden estate and park.

However, once parked up the stress levels went down, helped by the lovely lady at the ticket kiosk who gave me a little bag with some chocolates in - they were probably intended for the mothers, but I wasn't complaining.  Up near the house (now a luxury hotel) there were families everywhere enjoying spur of the moment picnics. One crowd was lined up round one of the ponds in the water garden - a bold heron had taken their eye (see extra)

Away from the crowds though I found a bank of spring flowers, and was rather pleased with my shot of Scilla - just the sort of shot I was hoping to get.