Birds swim on the water at Ifield Mill Pond in Crawley

From elegant swans, to intrepid grebes and cooing woodpigeons, Ifield Mill Pond in Crawley is home to all sorts of feathered friends.

Suzi Sullivan brought her camera to the water's edge and managed to snap several different birds. 

Cormorants perch like this to dry out their wings (Image: Suzi Sullivan/The Argus Camera Club)

She captured a damp cormorant perched with its wings spread out, its silhouette harking back to its dinosaur ancestors. 

Though they are sea birds, cormorants are increasingly seen at bodies of water in urban parks.

Their distinctive pose is to dry out their winds as they lack the waterproofing qualities of other water birds.

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Suzi also photographed a juvenile swan. You might be surprised to see such a young-looking swan at this time of year, but cygnets can be born as late as July and it takes months for their grey plumage to turn brown before finally becoming white. 

By one year old they are predominantly white but the beak remains grey/pink.

This swan was ruffling its feathers in the water (Image: Suzi Sullivan/The Argus Camera Club)

Snapper Suzi captured a brilliant action shot of an adult swan ruffling its feathers in the water.

Also darting across the pond was a sleek great crested grebe.

These water birds are in keeping with the season with their red eyes and decorative head plumes which make them look somewhat spooky.

Though elegant on the water, on land they are clumsy because their feet are placed so far back on their bodies.