The Cormorants in the Wind

Yesterday I went on a wild, windy 13.5 km run that took me out to Farndon, and a very squelchy Willow Holt, and then back in along my usual route along the river, which was surprisingly dry and easily passable in my trail shoes.

I'd brought my bridge camera in the boy scout "be prepared" sense; I had no idea or intention when I set out other than to run a long way, and I changed my mind about the route after abut 5km - Pykett's Wood between Cotham and Hawton just didn't seem appealing on a gloomy day.

So, I was hoping the river run would throw up something worth shooting.

There were certainly sights to see; a large flock of canada geese and pigeons in the arable field on the far side of the river just beyond the ferry were scared into the air by something - perhaps a fox - and the geese formed several v-formations and honked about at low altitude in their panic. Then I saw a small bird sweep low across the river, skimming the water into the marina entrance, and I asked myself briefly if it was a very early sand martin, before deciding it was more likely to be a reed bunting.

But still I wondered.

Luckily, when I reached the power station section of the river, the paparazzi deities smiled upon me from behind the clouds and gave me a selection of cormorants to shoot, sat awkwardly on river furniture, drying their wings in the fierce wind, and frankly looking like they'd voided their bowels over everything, including their own heads. Sometimes you get herons along that stretch of river, this day, it was cormorants, the prehistoric pteranadons of our rivers, tormenting the fishermen far out of the range of their anger.

Too bad the wind made taking pictures very very tricky.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.02.16

Mess maker!

And a friend

Note white head and wing patch on bird on right

Canoes? We don't need no stinking canoes!

From the other side

Solitary watchtower