I didn’t want to go out today. In fact, I didn’t even want to get out of bed. But I needed some ingredients to make a casserole, and the forecast suggested that it would at least be dry in Stratford at around 3pm, so I wrote a shopping list, grabbed the camera, and squelched out to the car.
The forecast lied.
My plan to walk my usual between-the-bridges riverside circuit, so as to get at least a modicum of exercise, survived exactly as long as it took me to get out of the car on Mill Lane, into a faceful of the bitter mizzle that was blowing around on a cutting breeze. So instead of heading for Lucy’s Mill Bridge, I immediately about-faced and set off towards the churchyard, and the shorter north bank walk into town.
By the time I reached the RSC boardwalk I’d photographed precisely nothing, because even the waterfowl had more wit than to be out in these conditions, so it was a relief to spot the adult Cormorant, swimming off the Bancroft wharf. It was clearly unsettled though, stretching and shaking in a way that made me pretty sure it was about to take off, and this was as close as I managed to get before it began the clumsy run they have to do along the surface of the water in order to reach air speed. It’s not the best portrait you’ll ever see of a Cormorant, but it’s the best photo of the six I took today, and in the circumstances I’m grateful to have got it.
Photos secured, I scuttled off to the butcher’s, then stomped back to the car and drove home via the supermarket, where I discovered that I’d left the list at home and would have to busk my way through the rest of the shopping. Sigh….
R: L2, C4, D21.
