Reflection

A dank, grey mist, persistently hung across the Ouse valley today, and I must admit I had to force myself out for a walk today. I’m not one to usually be put off by the weather but I wasn’t feeling it today. A bit of self reflection, and I forced myself out the door.

Reflection

It’s funny how a theme can permeate into a day. After my own self reflection, the day then became filled with real reflections, as I wandered the Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve.

The weather wasn’t really conducive to much photography. The grey over cast skies and low lying mist, sucking the light from the day. Although it did add an ethereal quality to the day, as the mist has a tendency to muffle much of the sounds of modern life.

Nature Reserve

It wasn’t till I reached the nature reserve that I even took the camera from my bag, I needed something to rest the long lens on and the hides made the perfect rest (I must remember to carry my tripod on dull days). In all honesty bar the above Sparrowhawk there was little to photograph.

It’s not that there were not birds, I had seen a few, even a few new for the year, but most were distantly swimming the campsite lakes; or pecking around deep within the undergrowth.

Pipers Piping

Sat in the Farm Hide, I could just make out the shape of the regular Little Owl, huddled close to the old Oak below the farm buildings. While all around, hidden within the margin weeds Eurasian Teal called and piped. The occasional male swimming out into open water and performing their odd little head bobbing display as they called.

Sadly all at a distance.

Bird Reflections

Over the stilt pits, flocks of gull swooped and whirled, startled to flight by locals walking a little too close for comfort (they can be flighty, no one was off the path). The skittishness of the birds helping me for once as I sat in the hide, small parties of duck were pushed away from the central path and toward me.

Settling into the hide, I sat for a while, watching as distant Pochard dove into the deep water; Mallard and Gadwell squabbled in the waters margins; family parties of Mute swan glided across the glass like surface; dark, prehistoric looking, Cormorant dried their wings on the small islets.

The small island in front of the hide, made a perfect subject to capture birds in reflection. As they sat, preened, flapped or walked, their image was mirrored in the millpond still waters. The white of the clouds creating a perfect surface.

Capturing the reflection of the birds, was interesting, and led to my favourite photo of the day, which I will leave you with now.

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