Magpies in a sudden fall of snow

Earlier this week we had what I hope will be the last fall of snow before spring gets into its stride. It only lasted for a few hours, but for a while it created scenes of great beauty, transforming the bare crowns of the little oak wood at the end of the garden into a lacy tracery of white twigs. 

 

Snow provides a wonderful foil for the pied plumage of magpies. The pair below are attempting to nest again (see earlier post) but are being constantly harassed by crows that want to build in the same tree.

For a few hours the snowfall was a reminder of the stark beauty of the winter landscape.

The thaw set in overnight and now the magpies are back in the garden, collecting twigs for nest building.