So, in attempt to never waste any holiday time, and do new things, I set off this afternoon for Kilvington Lakes, past Staunton in the Vale. I'd read that this was a really good place to spot birds, and it was within cycling reach.
Sadly the sun had gone in after a bright start, and the road turned out to be a rat run between the A52 and A1 for lorries thrashing along quite a narrow lane. Didn't like. But I got to the site in one piece, to find this view;
I'd read of interesting birds to see, and a comfy seat to watch them from - well, a park bench - but there was no sign of that here. Just a rather bleak vista of scrub, and open water populated with coots, a couple of herons, and a mixed flock of gulls containing some lesser black backs by the look of things.
There were no waders, and not even any ducks.
Of course, I had gone to the wrong lake. The better lake is further on, but my legs were tired and I really didn't fancy another mile along that road. I swept with binoculars, but didn't really see anything of note. Far better birders than I might well have had better results, but it really didn't feel a very inspiring location.
Luckily, on the way home I came across flocking immature swallows, forty or fifty strong, playing over the road at Cotham Flash paddocks and lining up on the telegraph wires. As ever, birds even a fair ways off always know when a camera is being deployed, so the shot I got was rather less impressive than it might have been. But I was still pleased, and hopefully soon I may have a rather better camera for this sort of thing!
Sadly the sun had gone in after a bright start, and the road turned out to be a rat run between the A52 and A1 for lorries thrashing along quite a narrow lane. Didn't like. But I got to the site in one piece, to find this view;
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| Kilvington Lake |
There were no waders, and not even any ducks.
Of course, I had gone to the wrong lake. The better lake is further on, but my legs were tired and I really didn't fancy another mile along that road. I swept with binoculars, but didn't really see anything of note. Far better birders than I might well have had better results, but it really didn't feel a very inspiring location.
Luckily, on the way home I came across flocking immature swallows, forty or fifty strong, playing over the road at Cotham Flash paddocks and lining up on the telegraph wires. As ever, birds even a fair ways off always know when a camera is being deployed, so the shot I got was rather less impressive than it might have been. But I was still pleased, and hopefully soon I may have a rather better camera for this sort of thing!
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| Swallows in E |
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