Tringford Reservoir — Between Two Downpours!

I took a look at my nearest lake to see whether it’s birds had returned, but was disappointed; there was not a single bird on the lake that I could see as I scanned the entire far shores I could see from the junction of the two possible directions. Also, there were not too many anglers either.

I had a brief chat with one, to elicit what natural activity he had observed, but came to the same conclusion. So my destination was to be the more distant one — the Lake at Tringford, where I would be able to discuss motor racing with its Water Bailiff, Bob.

I took a non-motorway route to drive down to avoid any possible delays, and found just one lone angler whom I had not met before and learned Bob would be a while, so after a while I headed back to the car and set up my camera with my long lens on the Benbo, to see what I could capture, as I had spotted a couple of young Grebe reasonably close, but despite my not being too slow, they had decided I was a possible threat and put a good distance between us, and never came any closer for my entire time there. I also got shots of some young cygnets, and a gull.

I took some shots, but was soon overtaken by the forecast heavy rain, and retired with assembled camera, tripod and long lens to the refuge of my car. There followed quite a battering of heavy rain upon my roof which lasted probably fifteen minutes before subsiding. I got out of my now steamed up car, and there now followed light drizzle for respite, before a second onslaught which though heavier, lasted less long and final stopped completely, allowing me to continue shooting. The angler meantime had decided to come ashore to avoid any possibility of a lightning strike, and we had a further chat, and he mentioned he had let Bob know I was at the lake.

Although I did get my fix of a few photos, it was not destined to be particularly interesting, so it was not long before I was once again on the road, and since there was only a minimal delay on the M1, that was the. route I took to return to create the small single page entry on the blog. The images were completed by the early afternoon of the following day, and the narrative finished after a scheduled visit to the local Hair Salon, which was undoubtedly overdue!

A Possible Cormorant Deterrent at Tringford Reservoir

Increasing numbers of cormorants are causing great concern at Tringford Reservoir. This morning Jake came down from Coventry with a plan to help alleviate the problem with a strategy to convince them that Bob Menzies and Rick from the Canal and River Trust can use a mannequin dressed as an angler and wearing an orange high visibility tabard means a threat.

I was there as an observer and listened to the plan. The idea is to fire percussive caps from the direction of the mannequin sitting aboard one of the flat-bottomed aluminium rowing boats used by the anglers. Done on a regular and fairly frequent basis and associated with the bangs and the mannequin's high-vis jacket would finally deter the birds from settling near to the lake and with time mean that the cormorants would desist in feeding on the young fish and damaging many of the larger ones that they do not manage to eat.

There was quite a bit of laughter as the mannequin was assembled and many comments about how young and fresh-faced he was when the club's anglers were considerably more rugged and certainly much older. Earlier I have been able to count twenty two birds on the lake at one time, and apparently the numbers and persistence has been steadily climbing. I arrived before Bob today and in the photograph that heads this piece are no less than six, and there were others on the water.

It will be interesting to see just how effective the so-far unnamed mannequin proves to be in reducing the numbers that are the scourge of the local anglers. I will be interested in finding out just what name he is given!

It was good to see a group of four cygnets on the water to round off my my time down there in the biting wind.

My Toe Hurts, Betty!

I set off for me, very early, and arrived on the banks of Marsworth Reservoir around a quarter past seven, and sat down to wait with my 5D MkIII and 100-400mm lens on a monopod. I was hoping to catch sight of a kingfisher, but the first hour passed with a visit by a curious Mallard male and countless midges. The air was filled with birdsong, but the owners of the songs were unknown to me beyond the distant call of the cuckoo and the passing calls of magpies, and the nasal moans of pigeons.

I did hear several splashes and plops of fish jumping in a pool beyond the fallen tree branches, but again the name of the species was not part of my vocabulary, and the angle and distance precluded my getting shots that might help me find the answer from an angler – I was amazed by the size of some of their number and just how many were swimming in that small area. A heron passed overhead at one time, but with the camera on the monopod, there was no chance of my getting in a shot.

It was while waiting for the main attraction that a disembodied voice called out: "Do you hear the call of the wood pigeons?" At first I assumed it was someone calling to a nearby friend, but when the question was repeated I realised it was aimed at me, I replied "Yes" and a man on the far bank in a red or orange shirt glimpsed through the branches and yellow flags by the bank said: "It sounds like 'My toe hurts, Betty!' I chuckled and said yes it does, and asked whether he had ever caught sight of a cuckoo? But my question remains unanswered as by then he had disappeared.

With those words repeating in my head I continued my wait for the equally elusive kingfisher. Before I continued in earnest I decided I would take a swig from my flask of coffee and had no sooner packed it back away having quenched my thirst, that coming close to two hours my patience was rewarded; a kingfisher alighted on a branch to my left and I took a few shots, it was less than a minute later that it dived and successfully caught a tiny morsel, moving centre stage to swallow it with much head shaking. Before departing he moved to another branch and dived again, but I was disappointed in the small size of its catch and how shapeless it was in its beak. He must have thought the same as he departed soon after.

I did stay on, but apart from another pair of Mallard, a lone coot, numerous pigeons, a few crows and spells of melodious but unknown birdsong, I saw no more kingfishers and four hours astride an uncomfortable log proved as much as I could endure, so I returned to the towpath of the Grand Union Canal and wandered to Tringford reservoir and its anglers, hoping to meet up with its Water Bailliff, but he was not there; I will catch up with him later.

Tringford – Small is Beautiful

Tringford reservoir has the lowest level I have seen, and not due to weather conditions or massive use of the Grand Union Canal, but due to a seized bearing in the pump at the Pumping Station which has meant the inability to get water to that lake. This has apparently made waders from nearby Wilstone reservoir who currently have no shallow sloping shoreline to take advantage of just such a feature brought about at Tringford – a silver lining?

The swans at Tringford after a long barren spell, now have a clutch of cygnets to cheer them up, and a Tufted Duck Mother has a string of ducklings which currently number twenty-one, and both mothers are duly protective of their offspring.

The exposed shoreline has revealed some interesting colour and strange shapes of encrusted chalk. In the nearby field the grassy perimeter hides a plethora of tiny creatures; including several differently adapted crickets, some moth-like flies that are readily predated by the male damselflies, and there are numerous tiny froglets.

The forecast had been for showers, and the Water Bailiff who had been saying to me when first I arrived that they had it wrong, well it was not long before he would be eating his words, for as I was on my knees taking ultra close-ups of a tiny cricket a few drops came down on my back and that of the tiny insect I was shooting, but that was a mere prologue for a prolonged downpour; I had barely covered the few feet to the car before it set in with a vengeance, and I still had to contemplate opening and closing the gate! Needless to say, I got a drenching and had to put a throw I keep for the purpose behind me, to keep the damp from the seat.

Out on the open roads, they had become flowing rivers as the rain fell in abundance and continuously the entire return trip. I had hung out washing to dry before I left, and it was now way wetter than when I put it out! Fortunately the vital bedding I had hung in the conservatory! The contents of the line had to be re-spun before tumble drying.

Buckland, Mallard Family; Tringford Pochard Pair

Once again I set off with one subject in mind, only to end up with something different – in a word: Serendipity. I headed for Buckland and a puddle by the banks of the Grand Union Canal, with the idea of seeking out kingfishers. I was very surprised having left the houses of Buckland to see a vast industrial complex where fields had been last time I visited, I learned from an angler on arrival at the canalside, that when completed it would be Britain’s largest Milk Processing Plant!

I met up with a fisherman who had barely seen any bird life, who had caught a small bream before I arrived and a three-inch tiddler whilst I was there, so I decided to move on, returning eventually the way I had come when I spotted a young Mallard family swimming along the far bank close in to the reeds.

Just as I entered Buckland I spotted a duck perched on some gates, so got out of the car to grab a quick shot, and it was the second time recently I had photographed a Muscovy Duck! I made my way back to Tringford Reservoir where a pair of Pochard were swimming very close to the shore, and as I watched, the male would dive for tasty green weeds for his paramour and she would then swim up and take some from him; she never once dived herself, though she would dip her head in the shallower water close to the bank.

I lost count of how many times I failed to capture the male doing his dive, but I did finally get close to getting the shot I wanted of this activity. Bad light and a biting wind finally put an end to my attempts to improve upon my diving captures.

2013 Tringford Fish Restocking

Learning that Tringford Fishing Season opens at Easter, and that they were due to receive a fresh stock of Rainbow Trout, I drove down in time to see the two tanks’ worth arriving. A tank at a time is opened and a chute attached, then the sluice gate is opened and the fish enter the reservoir helped by the water – I swear I caught one trying to leap back up!

After the last reluctant ones were given a helping hand from the empty tank, the next task was to ensure that they all make it safely from beyond the shore; one or two somehow managed to get under the overhang and a few more seemed to want to rest by reeds at the water’s edge, but with a little tickle from a stick they were persuaded to reach out for deeper water.

The anglers’ boats at the jetty were all small reservoirs in their own rights, thanks to the rain that has been falling of late, so I now realised why the Water Bailliff was so named as shortly, canibalised plastic containers became makeshift bailers, as Bob and Colin set to, reducing the level in the old Rothschild boat.

Then all three of us went out on to the lake, so Bob could check what maintenance he would be needing to do before his anglers arrived for the start of the season. There was not too much bird activity, but I did spot a coot building its nest, and several tufted ducks, which flew off as we neared.

I felt compelled to capture some shots of Colin, because here was a face with a ton of character, and often a mischievous grin; I decided he should be portrayed in black and white, as I felt they then told much more of the man and his travels.

Interesting Tringford Friday

Once again I cleared all I could by early afternoon, and decided that I had not been in contact with Bob the Bailiff at Tringford Fisheries for a while, and a restful afternoon at the reservoir is quite appealing on a day that had the possibility of autumn sunshine. I put in a call to check Bob would be there, and set off, with every intention of taking some paperwork to my accountant in Ampthill at the end of the day, having also called her to see that was acceptable.

I arrived at the car park and walked along to the jetty, and no sign of Bob. I returned to the car to collect my camera and relaxed on the end of pier with my 300mm, occasionally taking shots of a gull that was circling at the top end, and heading into wind towards me keeping an alert watch for fish below the surface. Having watched this unfold for a while I called Bob and learned he was in a meeting. As I got up I was amazed at what I saw in the shallows only a few feet in front of me the brilliant colours of a large freshwater crawfish! Even though I had no polariser, and was faced with the wind creating constant ripples to the water surface, I was determined to record this because I reckoned this specimen was a good ten inches end to end!

I heard the clang of the gate and went back to the car park expecting Bob, but it was two other anglers who explained a friend had joined Bob at the Anglers’ Rest Public House and so he had stayed on! When I used to work at Pelling & Cross (now Calumet) their local hostelry was the ‘Doctor’s Surgery’ and their custom was such that the landlord moved with them! So much for Office Meetings!

I should show more respect for  my friend, as when he returned he made good his offer to row me down to the bottom end of the lake which gave me more opportunities to gather shots of herons. When we came back from this trip, I offered to take Bob home, and in Cheddington we stopped off at the Three Horseshoes, where I imbibed a half of bitter shandy, and we chatted to his local friends at the bar. A while later another local entered and hailed Bob, I looked up and it was a face that was extremely familiar to me, fellow photographer, Kevin Sansbury – neither of us knew we both knew Bob! What a small world! I stayed longer than intended, which meant my trip to the accountant was not made till Saturday! My life seems governed by serendipity, I plan very little to an exact timetable, and I had no idea how this trip would end – colourful crawfish and learning Kevin and Bob knew each other!

Tringford Sunday Drifting

The next few weeks will see me tied up carrying out a time lapse series of images of the refurbishment of a retail interior, so since the weather forecast was good for a change, I took the opportunity to take a morning in a boat with Bob Menzies on the reservoir at Tringford, knowing there was a possibility I would be tied up giving some advice regarding software and hardware to a young artist in the afternoon.

It was pleasantly cool with a light breeze and the water close by the jetty was crystal clear, so the fish could see and therefore avoid the attentions of the anglers! So it proved for the only angler that took to the water on Tringford that morning, and as Bob and I went out he came in for a break.

We headed down towards the Pumping Station, gently approaching three herons, one of which was on a nest. Although I thought there may be young, we saw nothing in the nest after that heron flew off and circled around. This year has seen fewer heron that last year which is a shame as these birds are the epitome of graceful elegance. Overall we have seen fewer birds on all three of the Tring reservoirs, and this may be due in part to the fierce winter, the amount of rain over the recent weeks and Cormorants depleting the fish stock. We gently drifted around the bottom end looking in the clear water for signs of fish, and saw none, the fish that were to be seen were jumping in the top corner close to the main road, but only one took a sniff at the lone angler's line.

Tringford – Bank Holiday Monday

The water level was lowering all day at both Startops End and Tringford as Bank Holiday’s visitors to the Grand Union Canal gave the Locks a good working over, that meant greater water clearance beneath the moorings, and we were astonished by the appearance of a kingfisher who swooped across the water actually beneath the landing stage, and although at a lesser speed than I had seen it before, being so close, its angular velocity was incredible!

When I arrived it was fairly cold, but was sunny, but as the morning wore on the wind increased and it became mightily chill. The anglers were mostly lucky with their catches, but not everyone. One fisherman actually brought up a good sized crayfish on his anchor, and was looking forward to a very different meal that evening!

The swallows, terns and gulls were very active and one juvenile grebe was fishing very successfully, and for a change was not too far from the shore. There were a few herons flying, but certainly not as many as last autumn. The most striking behaviour from several of the fish was that they spent a considerable time at he surface sometimes with just their tail fins showing, but often much of their bodies visible, and there was a good amount of jumping sometimes twice in quick succession, presumably due to lice, and this was their way of trying to rid themselves of the irritation.

Tringford and Flying Kingfisher

I wanted to check out the Canon 7D after it had been returned from Canon, having suffered communication problems with the battery! So Tringford seemed like a good idea. So it turned out, for I saw and managed to fire off shots of the kingfisher – zooming across the water about one foot off the surface, to all intents like an exocet missile. The first occasion found me shooting at 1/650th, and that was not fast enough. In case I got a second chance I set 1/800th, but even that is not fast enough to do it justice! And in the UK with only my lowly 300mm f/4 this is simply not enough.

But nothing will take away the pleasure of at last sighting a kingfisher through the viewfinder – it feels as an F1 driver must do when getting their first Championship points; now I am waiting for my podium finish either a static shot perched by a stream, or a sharp shot in flight.

It was the birds once again who seemed to be meeting success on the fishing front, rather than the anglers. I set off home just as the rain came, so that I could prepare for the afternoon trip to the Shuttleworth Flying Proms and evening with Catherine. I have to say full of foreboding regarding the weather, but I need not have worried, it turned brilliantly.

Fish Restocking at Tringford Reservoir

Today I met up with Bob Menzies down at Tringford, so that I could capture the restocking of the lake, and I just arrived in time for the delivery from Bibury. The driver had to drive into the water on this occasion as the level in the lake was so low.

It took a little while as he had to be sure he would not sink too low and that he could reverse back up the slope, because of the drop at the edge. As it happened this did not present a problem.

I took a few shots to establish the scene then clambered on to the back of the trailer so I could capture the release from a good vantage point. It was over very quickly, which I had been warned to expect. After being paid, the driver reversed up the hill, and I then went into Pit Marshal mode (I spent thirty years as a marshal for the BRSCC, covering motor racing events all over the country) to ensure he got safely into the road and back on his journey to his next client – in Peterborough! I hope his load of trout were not too seasick from that trip.

From my point of view the only disappointment was the lack of sunshine.

Tringford Birds Doing the Fishing!

I arrived at Tringford and took a wander along the Trout Stream, through the overgrown weeds to the bridge where there were innumerable water boatmen skittering across the surface. The lens was less than idea for the subjects as I was still hoping for a glimpse of a kingfisher.

Meeting up with the bailiff, Bob Menzies, I found just one fisherman out on the water, but though he managed no catches, the birds on the other hand were far more successful. The juvenile grebe was proud that within a five minute period he caught two fish, whilst the parent managed just one. I managed to capture both!

I spotted one common tern that had landed on the skeletal jetty remains on the far side of  the Tringford reservoir, but later after a short walk around the Marsworth lake, I was successful in capturing a tern in flight with its fishy mouthful. And I got a brief glimpse of a heron before it took flight.

So, despite Bob rowing me across the lake and my catching site of only a single heron; it was spooked without my getting a clear view of it, that trip was no more than a very tranquil journey across the still waters. Bob is very good that way. One thing I forgot to mention to Bob, was that I spotted that a bee is nesting beneath his left rowlock!

John Sentinella Chauffeurs Me to Tringford Reservoir

Since my operation, I have found it hard to walk in complete ease, and I need to spend a fortnight avoiding heavy lifting and straining myself. John wanted to visit the reservoirs, and very generously offered to take me in his car, so I travelled in comfort.

I soon spotted Bob Menzies fishing from the far shore of the Tringford lake, so I walked over to meet him with he possible chance to photograph him; maybe even landing a catch! He mentioned that he had spotted that a grebe had a new family, and that the male could be seen carrying two of his offspring beneath his wings as the female did the food gathering, returning to feed the young grebelings regularly. Learning this I was determined to see if I could capture this. When I returned to the moorings the grebe pair were swimming very close inshore, albeit rather far out for the lens I had brought along.

John and I gathered our cameras and set off for Marsworth reservoir to see what subjects we could find. I settled at the bottom of steps on the edge of Startops End to capture shots of some  pied wagtails that flying to and fro from the bank. After a while John came along to say a heron was settled on the floats across the Marsworth, so I joined him on that side, and was very lucky to get some shots of this juvenile both static and in flight.

We rejoined Bob and went out on the Tringford lake by boat, enabling us all to catch up on news since we had last met up. Altogether a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable morning. Especially to be transported back to Caddington in air-conditioned luxury!

More New Life at Marsworth

Another Visit to Marsworth Reservoir allowed me to peek and no more at some four young coot chicks on the edge of a reed bed, and later a nesting coot in the lake at Tringford. As I watched a couple of grebe going through their ritual dance, tern were either skimming along just above the surface or gliding around intently searching before swooping to try to catch small fish.

A pair of grebe would be diving for food for a while before taking greater interest in each other, then parting, the returning to begin shaking beaks at each other and stretching their necks, but it did seem somewhat half-hearted. The herons I saw were far more wary than on previous occasions, and the greylags were fairly aloof. And the young mallard families were quite happy to stray from the mother and go diving for the fairly abundant green slime which floated just beneath the surface of Tringford reservoir.

Later the Same Day…

Satisfied with my forensic diagnostics around dawn, I then made my way south from mid-Bedfordshire down towards the reservoirs at Tringford, Startops End, Marsworth and Wilstone to see what I could find. I believe the bird whose picture is the first in the gallery to be a partridge, this was taken near Beckerings Farm, Steppingley.

I spotted that on two reservoirs the Grebes were fishing successfully and then taxiing along in a great flap before swallowing their breakfast fish. I also spotted a seagull which had been equally successful, but it was far more laid-back over the event. The cormorants were out about in the air singly and in pairs, and the greylag geese were in abundance both in the air and in the water. Other birds spotted were a lone pied wagtail I think and possibly a chat in the trees, and I just caught a mass taxiing of coots making an amazing racket. Lastly I was barked at vehemently by a black dog called ‘Banjo’ who I think took exception to my long lens but later wanted to lick me to death! His owners were charming and we chatted for some time before rain stopped play.

Tringford Herons, Ducks and Geese

Not all the pictures this time are mine, and I think it should be obvious – colleague John Sentinella was down at Tringford for a spot of fishing earlier on and returned, and when we met up he suggested he’d give me a hand whilst I photographed from the opposite bank for a change. I lent him one of my cameras and he turned it on me!

Between the times when he left and returned, Bob Menzies took me out in one of the boats so I might be closer to some of the herons, and even he was surprised by how close we came, I was lucky to get quite a few shots and I now know a little bit more of their habits.

I shall also be working on a series of images of the fishermen’s landing stage and moorings and the lake to create a panorama. Whilst we were on the other side, I managed to get low down by the overflow to take some of the shots of the greylag geese and also a swan and a Grebe.

Before leaving I went towards the reeds where I captured damselflies, and finally a group of ladybirds.

Catching a Tern Diving

I should preface this piece by saying it is well out of chronology, the images were captured around three weeks ago.
Startop and Marsworth reservoirs normally seem favoured by the Common Tern and they generally swoop and dive, but when John Sentinella and I were at Tringford reservoir recently we saw a single tern as opposed to several, that came and hovered reasonably close by before diving.

On the first occasion it did happen very close, but we were ill prepared and were only able to stand by and watch, but once alerted we spotted the same visitor on more than one occasion thereafter.

Here is a selection of shots from the second encounter. I did not manage to capture the moment of entry and exit from the water, but nevertheless, it is a reasonable sequence that shows this elegant bird in action. In every dive we witnessed the bird was unsuccessful, whereas the swooping technique seen on the other reservoirs seemed more successful.

A Tuesday Visit to Tringford Reservoir

The weather was too good to miss and after clearing the small amount of work and diverting the phone to ensure I did not lose an opportunity for some more, I collected my camera gear and set off for the reservoir. There was a variable breeze and two fishermen were already out on the water, There was not a lot of activity, but enough to keep my hand in. Ironically, when the fishermen decided to come in we chatted and I told them I had not captured much of interest, and as they left through the woods I caught sight of a Red Kite, and soon spotted there were a pair soaring above the trees on the far side where earlier I had seen dozens of rooks.

I spotted a heron on the far side and managed just two shots of it in flight, and then got some shots of a grebe fishing and managed a halfway decent shot of him with a tiddler in its beak, he was not having the success he had a week or two back when I saw him with a crayfish.

I tried to see just how close I could get to damselflies and if I could capture them in flight; I certainly never managed both together! I also took a walk along the trout stream, but without any conspicuous success.

Early Start at Tringford Reservoir

I am not an early bird by nature. I tend to work till the early hours of the morning, and generally need little more than four hours' sleep; except when very tired, I rarely find I can sleep uninterrupted for eight hours.

So the thought of arriving at Tringford Reservoir at or before seven o'clock in the morning was daunting, I set the alarm for 5.15am and because I had been undecided till the last minute, I actually went to bed around 1.30am – then woke before the alarm – around five. I got up after a five-minute doze, before switching it off.

I arrived at the reservoir about a quarter to seven, and walked along the Trout stream, just catching a pair of Mallard ducks coming in to land in the field bordering the stream, there were already a handful of greylags in the centre. There were no other signs of conspicuous activity either along the length of the stream or in the Tringford lake, so I strolled over the road and into Marsworth where there were more signs of life and spotted a well camouflaged duck in the bushes, some other ducklings and Greylags on the bank and in the water, and a small birds singing its heart out!

I wandered along to where the path forked to go to Startop reservoir then turned back, and it was now that a biting wind came on, and I was heading straight into it as I headed back to Tringford and the Fisherman's jetty to meet up with the bailliff, Bob.

For the rest of the day I was capturing swans landing and taking off, Coots and Mallard trying their damnedst to get their evil way with their females, I missed several opportunities to get the heron in flight, I spotted the capture of a crayfish by a crested Grebe, the flighty visits of a Robin, and a soaring Red Kite.

I witnessed the success of two fishermen in their boats, and conversations regarding buzzers and lures, I managed to stay wakeful till around three o'clock, and reached home with definite signs of tiredness, but it had been well worth it for the images I captured.

Just the Day before I Left for Paris…

The sun shone out of a blue sky and the air was crisp and cold, but the temptation to get out to take pictures was irresistible, and I was fairly sure that Tringford Reservoir would be a haven for birds in need of food, and the public would be out for walks around the edge, and more than willing to offer. As I passed Pitstone, I spotted some hot-air balloonists out in the reasonably still air, however as is often the case I was arriving late, but at least they added some interest to the Windmill.

After a few shots that included the Ivinghoe church, I set off for Tringford where I was rewarded with a low golden light across the reed beds and slowly melting ice across much of the surface – the small trapped twigs melted some circles in the ice which made interesting patterns, and the blue ice against the golden reeds made for an interesting contrast in colour.

Further in where much of the ice had melted, small islands were left, which meant bread thrown by passers by was only reached by skittering ducks or the long necks of swans.

I caught a hurried sight of a cormorant, interesting groups in silhouette and one narrow boat idling along the nearby canal. Altogether a restful interlude before my trip to the Montmartre district of Paris, where I spent six days, mostly alongside an American photographer to help him understand how Lightroom was to help in his photographic workflow, how it linked with Photoshop, and also how he could explore new retouching techniques for his fashion and beauty photography. Galleries of images taken mostly at night in the few breaks I took from the training, and these sunnier pictures are now ready.