Woburn Park Visit in Pale Sunshine

  

I readied my kit, which in this instance was a tripod with a fair leg-spread to support the EOS R and the Sigma Sports 60-600mm lens with a ball head, I had two destinations in mind, but fate dealt me a different hand, and when both venues lacked attendance of aquatic birds for the first choice and windsurfers on Brogborough were conspicuous by their absence, I decided on a different venue – Woburn Park, with its deer.

Upon arrival, it looked as if I might have lucked out once again, but after a trudge with heavy gear, deeper in proved initially no more promising, I retraced my footsteps. Upon my arrival back at the small narrow lake by the entrance, the deer had relented and started heading my way from the hill, heading straight for  my stretch of water, and a drink. Initially, the stags journey towards me was made largely heads-down, which is far from being the most interesting pose for any photo! I therefore carefully watched to see when one would look up, and preferably look my way, also, it would have been generous had they formed interesting groups, rather than an amorphous mass of grass-chomping heads. I tried to assess when one might look up long enough for me to compose an interesting group.

I stayed by the island of grass by the stretch of water till they had quenched their thirst and headed up the hill away from me – rear views are generally of less interest, so I made my way out, and back to the car. As I set off the Pavilion-like building was lit beautifully, so my architectural instinct kicked in and I took a few views of this before  considering my photography had ended. Even then there was still one last series of shots to catch my eye, a swan was nesting in the reeds, and was busy with some housekeeping, so I tried to capture some shots of its labours. So my trip was rewarding.

Marston Moretaine Church – Environs' Bird Life

I have been in pain due to inflamed bowels for several days, and now the medications are finally having some effect, and the lack of exercise gave me cause for concern — sunshine came to my rescue, and made it possible for me to give my bowels some gentle massage whilst being distracted by the onset of Spring around me as I concentrated on capturing some of the boundless beauty that was a mere short, gentle walk by the local semi-detached church — the tower and chancel are separate entities, with a story of an annoyed God punishing the Villagers by parting the two asunder!

The one thing of extra note is that Capability Brown definitely did Not design the surrounding environment, perhaps the angry God decided the church should be hidden from casual view, by enclosing it from most angles of view beyond, with trees and bushes. This is sad, since the architecture is quite appealing, though entrances deemed in need of being sealed do not appear to have been given much love, looking very utilitarian. l have therefore made a conscious effort to take the viewer’s eye away by choosing an angle that leaves the original arch visible, but the blank wall is obscured by a bush to spare the blushes of the diocese.

I have tried to find angles that show Nature giving us a glimpse of what the coming season offers, and details that caught my eye as I gave my body a gentle work out. I used a lens that gave a general view in my initial walk, then returned later with a longer lens that allowed me to isolate  a view of what I found of interest, and get something to drink to keep me hydrated and allow my body to recover.

By pure chance I spotted the courtship of a pair of pigeons, and the longer lens on the second trip was fortuitous. Since my walk was solitary, the camera provides both company and the chance to capture the scenes I find and share them to a wider audience whilst keeping my eyes attuned to the differing challenges in capturing the colours, atmosphere and happenings around me.

Whilst I was beyond the trees, on the early trip I was surprised to see an egret fly overhead, heading South South East between two other lakes to the south, and this was what had prompted me to come out for the second excursion with the long lens. I also spotted a flock of doves that circled the buttressed tower of the church before landing. This narrative is more than a day late, since I went to Elstree to collect my repaired EOS R from Canon, and  yesterday saw the return of my Sigma 60-600mm lens so therefore I had been delayed in completing the processing of  the shots taken from both trips as I wrote this. I will now let the pictures tell their own story.