College Lake – Greylag and Lapwings

Armed with my 100-400mm lens a short visit to College lake near Bulbourne seemed like a reasonable choice to make. Due to the excessive rains this year the pathway beyond the octagonal hide was flooded, so I took a chance that the hide might just allow me to get some shots.

The first to come my way were a pair of swooping Lapwings, and as I watched I began to get some idea of what was happening, as it seemed as if it was often the female who landed on the spit just beyond the hide and who was then dive-bombed by the male, but this was only supposition my part as I am not a clued-up bird watcher.

I decided I would try to capture what I took to be their mating ritual as the female would display on the ground, than as the male swooped she would squat lower as if in submission, and then they would fly off together for a while before she would land again and seem to repeat the action. I may have misinterpreted it all as the pair flew again together for a while before they went their separate ways and the female flew to an islet and started drinking casually as if she were no longer interested.

The greylag geese which interrupted these goings on announced their departure in typically raucous hooting and I managed to get a reasonable grouping of three in flight, as well as an earlier singleton landing on the water. In the milky sunshine, another pair made interesting reflections on the water as flew by.

Wendover Woods Trip

I met up with Lizzy and Tim for a walk in the woods. Wendover Woods is a vast tract of Forestry Commission Land that is beautifully organised and maintained. The road is in good condition and it is a fair drive to reach the centre, wending its way through the trees with occasional laybys and some automatic ticket dispensers before you arrive at the car parks, Café and toilets. When we arrived, there were plenty of parking spaces still available.

The café staff are young, numerous, cheerful and helpful, and we dropped in for some drinks before setting off. We strolled in dappled sunlight past the car parks and through a grassy area with several groups setting up gazebos, tents and barbecues, with families playing football and all thoroughly enjoying the warm weather and open spaces.

Soon we took a left through the trees and entered a long winding gravel path with wild flowers, weeds and bushes either side, and it was soon time to take out the camera to record the abundant insect life. The dragonflies like miniature helicopters flew around us at one stage, but never settled in our sight and travelled at incredible speed. I was not lucky enough until much later, to get a shot of one, and even then it was at a distance and incredibly well camouflaged.

There were several different species of butterfly, and some specimens were showing distinct signs of wear on their wings, presumably from the high winds and rain we have experienced of late. There were not too many aphids, but ladybirds abounded as did hoverflies and what seemed like a battle-tank style fly, full of barbs and armour. I am presuming from a slight similarity to the smaller hoverflies that several I shot were female – their eyes were separated in the middle. In one part, there were several crickets and grasshoppers, all congregating on some dry dead leaves.

On our return, the numbers of people had increased substantially. We stopped at the café for a meal of toasted panini, and drinks, before having a last twenty minutes walk in a different area where we larked about testing our balancing skills. Since Lizzy and Tim were planning to watch the Liverpool-Arsenal match on Sky at a pub, we parted and I spent a pleasant last hour at College Lake, where I got shots of a fly becoming supper for a damselfly.

College Lake Nature Reserve

The recently opened Visitor Centre at College Lake is nearing completion; the outside landscaping is yet to be completed. The building and its interior is a very interesting structure, and very carefully placed to provide excellent views of this one-time Chalkpit. It stands such that for most of the day, the sun is behind, and is curved to ensure that only the evening rays fall on the far front where the restaurant area lies. The lake itself has beautiful landscaping, several islands and a splendid octagonal hide.

The Visitor Centre is topped with soil and grass, and is surrounded by baskets of varied vegetation. Once I had entered I was very impressed with what has been done to the interior. The staff were very welcoming and I asked whether anyone objected to my taking photographs of the interior; permission was readily given. There was a superb exhibition of large photos of wildlife and many explanatory boards especially aimed at informing children and adults alike. I had initially thought I might have to come back at another time because I did not have a wideangle lens, but after I had sat down with a cup of tea, I realised I did have a zoom with a moderate wideangle so popped this on and took a few shots.

After my tea I tried in vain to capture some of the swallows and then went back to my shorter zoom and took some exterior shots and some details. It is obvious that the architects for this project have put a lot of thought into what has been built and how the outside area will be finished. I do hope this whole site is a success, my only concern is the size of the car parking area which was almost full, and the entrance, as it is onto a narrow and busy highway.

It is well worth a visit.

Paul Elliott at Hammer & Tongs, Bulbourne Lock

In the early afternoon I spent some time walking around a few areas of College Lake Nature Reserve, an old chalk quarry close to Bulbourne that is preparing to open in an extended fashion for the May Bank Holiday, but most of the wildlife stayed away, or knew I was coming! I did however take a few photographs, so that later I can see the changes. I can see that they will undoubtedly cater well for school groups to learn about woodland life and crafts, wildlife and how chalk came about and why it was mined.

I then wandered down the newly opened path to Bulbourne Lock, where I first paid a visit to the ex-Canal Warden and her husband on their boat, and then walked into the works of the artist blacksmith, Paul Elliott and engaged him in conversation, asking him whether he objected to my taking photos in his workshop and gallery. He was entirely happy with this and he talked to me about the piece he was working on for a charity auction on behalf of the Heroes. He was putting the finishing touches to the patina, before lacquering it to protect it.

I also recorded some of the heavy tools he had there that seemed from a bygone age. It certainly proved how well they were engineered, since all seemed to be still in regular use! Here is a real craftsman as well as an artist with some beautiful work, and outside are other examples of his work, just randomly scattered around. I can definitely recommend a visit to take a look around, especially since there is life a plenty here with Bulbourne Lock, narrowboats, a pub, the towpath and College Lake all close by, just park up at the lake and walk down.

Chilly Morning at the Reservoirs

I readjusted my body clock again to ensure I could be up early enough to catch the projected sunny morning. I had a speedy breakfast and set off for Marsworth with a couple of long lenses and a bag of others should the need arise.

The first thing I noticed having parked the car and wandered through the kissing gate was just how much clearing of undergrowth had taken place since my last visit. I was fortunate that an old lady was feeding some of the coots and ducks by the reedbeds, because as I approached some birds took flight, giving me the opportunity to capture some on the wing.

The sun backlighting the reeds was appealing, but what surprised me was just how much ice was still floating on the surface. I spent a while wandering some of the paths before moving to one of the other reservoirs, where two swans made a beeline for me from across the lake, but I had to disappoint them, because I had no food with me and having followed me for quite a while, the larger of the two began hissing at me presumably out of annoyance for not having anything to offer!

I was finding that the wildlife was disappearing and was about to head off when a man from a nearby house hailed me, this was Bill the baker, who had retired to live in a nearby cottage some twenty years ago. He had a lot to tell me of the local wildlife and we chatted for some time, before I let him get on with his gardening and I came back to get on with some work. I did break off for a while to get a few quick shots of a Red Kite.

I called in on the newly opened, but not yet complete College Lake, by Bulbourne, and this site looks very appealing when it is finally completed - a fie expanse of water, reclaimed presumably from an earlier chalk quarry.