Wetland Diary - 10 August 2006

Wetland Diary 10 August 2006

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I hadn't been feeling particularly well all day, but decided I needed to get out of the flat. It was a fresh and breezy Thursday evening, only about 20ºC, very pleasant to be out in. Having been to the western side of the reserve on my prior visit, I decided to head round to the east, towards the Peacock Tower.

I had my Canon 10D and a single lens, the 50mm f/1.4, so no close ups of birds this time, and I couldn't get as close to the Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi) as I'd have liked. However, the f/1.4 is lovely and light to carry, and great in low light: ideal for trundling around in the evening.

It was good to see water back in the scrape area (it had been cracked mud in July), but it was coated with a thick mat of green algae, and there were few birds on the water. In the air the Sand Martins (Riparia riparia) were out in force, and I managed to capture some Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) flying past the Peacock Tower.

As the day drew to a close there were many beautiful reflections of the sky on the water. The pond by the visitor centre was particularly photogenic in the final minutes before sunset, and a family of Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula) provided a contrast with the reflection of the sky (see the final photo).

It really felt like autumn was already beginning, the berries, the grown ducklings, and the cooler weather. The latter could obviously be reversed, but it looks like it'll be a cool and rainy August, which is almost certainly a blessing for the Wetland Centre.

The sheltered lagoon.