As the cold spell was coming to in the area at the end late in January, the ice on roads and footpaths quickly melted away once the night time temperatures rose slightly above freezing. But the partial ice covers on some of the larger pools stayed in place for several days more.
During this period, some of the West Park mallards had gathered on the ice on the lake there, and appeared to be drinking from a puddle of meltwater. Meanwhile at Perton a gang of the black-headed gulls were just standing around in a group.