Serenity
It is the second week of June. Flurries of rain over the past two days followed after many days of glorious sunshine. The days are long and light with dawn shortly after 4am with the light hanging on until 10pm.
Everything in the garden is growing at full steam ahead, and the countryside is awash with green.
I took my walk today in the evening as the sun was making the final leg of its final parting. The light was soft and forgiving, but with a subtle pop.
[The light and the shape of this Phleum pratense grass is what caught my eye.]
I admit to recently developing a penchant for grasses. It is my belief that it comes from seeing more green spaces being left as nature intended, and it thrills me to the core that the park on my doorstep has examples of this in abundance.
These beautiful discoveries have changed the routine of my walks. I sit a while in the midst of such spaces. Doing so helps me to immerse myself in their beauty. The diversity increases with every passing day; Cow Parsley is beyond knee-high, Cat Grass, Buttercups, Hogweed, and three different colours of Clove have joined the party.
As the grasses sway in the breeze, a Bumble Bee visits, and I am lost in the moment. My day is enriched.
Sunlight seeped through the trees from behind
and occasionally, spilled onto the grasses in the foreground You would be forgiven for thinking that the effect was created in post production, but it was merely nature doing her thing. My aim is to merely capture the mood as authentically as is possible.
On Saturday evening
three birds of prey flew above my head. They were so high in the sky to really make out what they were, and they soon disappeared beyond the trees. As a reached the end of my walk, I glanced back at the lake, and it was then that I saw the same birds again; there were three, and they were souring, hovering then diving into the water. On the third attempt, some 10 minutes later, one had successfully caught a fish, and proceeded to fly off with the others, in the direction for Oakham. Perhaps they had visited the lake from Rutland Water.
Early evening, low light shimmering
Simply Green - Sunday evening
These two swans in the foreground visited the park mid-way through the month. Within the hour, the resident Swan of the main lake, saw them off. He is well known by visitors to the park of being a bit of a character.
Sitings so far this month - Waterfowl and Birds
A group of three Osprey fishing
A pair of Canada Geese with 2 Goslings [originally 3]
A nursery of Greylag Geese comprising of 10 Goslings; 3 about 4-5 weeks, and 10 about 8-9 weeks
Two female Mallards with Ducklings:
Two Herons
Cutes
Eurasian blackcap
If you have enjoyed this post, you may be interested in my previous month's Nature Ponderings:
Gina