Walk around Willington

I needed to be outside in the fresh air, and I decided to go to a spot on the river close to the Danish Camp and the Dovecote Building, but to take a different route from that which I had taken on earlier occasions. I parked my car a short walk from the Dovecote, and with my camera with the 60-600mm on the EOS R6 attached to my monopod, and a camera bag over my shoulder with a shorter lens with its macro facility within I took to a path via a gate that once open fell several inches, making closing it a struggle as it was a bit of a juggle to lift back when closing. Little did I realise I was destined to retrace my steps because my battery was lower than expected, and worse still was my backup battery was also fully discharged! Fortunately there was another back in my car, and that was fully charged. Hardly the mark of a professional! So the walk of Shame was justified. The time lost and energy consumed meant that less time was spent in sunshine.

Although I was hearing birdsong for much of the afternoon, I only occasionally actually was able to catch sight of the songsters, and only to glimpse a speedy low level flight from one bush side of my path to the other. The only bird that did feature was a pigeon, and it kept a wary eye on me and only allowed me a chance to move sideways to better frame it, at the hint of a move closer it took flight! 

There had either been less rain here or recent winds had dried the paths, for the going was the best I had encountered for a couple of weeks elsewhere. The greens were bright here, and the paths were winding making pleasing compositions, and the better weather had brought out canoeists that I was able to capture by moving to gaps in the tree cover when alerted to the sounds of their paddles. At one stage I was able to get a couple of shots of some mandarin ducks, and due to the long lens the chain link fence was rendered out of focus that gave the birds the chance to feel safe and ignore my presence.

On my return journey, I managed to miss the point at which I joined the path, and even had to ask a family group directions back to the Dovecote — I am glad I asked, because without their guidance I might well have taken a different choice and added even further to the distance I travelled to return to the car, and my back was definitely beginning to ache from the camera and rucksack. It was undoubtedly a good choice to use the monopod rather than a tripod, because it was sufficiently stable in the prevailing light levels.

I had enjoyed the chance of the fresh air and the exercise, and felt that the photographs I had managed to take were a good record of the time spent.

Early Venue Change — a New Lake

Initially, and fairly early in the day I load the car with camera gear and head for Brogborough Lake, only to find it open, but bereft of any windsurfers! I head for Sam to enquire whether he anticipates many sailors, and learn that he knows of no visitors yet, but has opened just in case any turn up. Whilst we chat a van turns up, but as the driver steps out, he recognises me and hails me with a wave. He is not a Windsurfer, but an Angler, and we have met on other lakes.

After a return wave, I close my conversation with Sam and walk over to him; during the subsequent chat, I enquire whether he knows of opportunities to photograph one of my favourite birds, the kingfisher, and that and the non-appearance of windsurfers led to a change of location — I learned of Willington and it’s lakes, and that there was one area that was preserved for Anglers with entry only by key.

That conversation decided my destination for the day, and with brief directions from Marc on how to reach the lakes, I took a look at a map, set my SatNav and headed off. Close to the end of my directions, I spotted a man walking a dog, so pulled over, got out and asked for directions — the somewhat surprising response was: “You have come upon the Bailliff!” He pointed me in the right direction of the gate, and I drove on as he followed on with his dog going to right and left, rather than heading in one straight line.

This visit was to get some idea of the layout, and just what I might find, and I stopped to chat to another angler, who handily told me where he had spotted  kingfishers which was music to my ears.

Before setting off, I captured various information boards, so I could study these in more detail, having got some idea of the overall layout.