Christine's walking & birds blog

Dorney

A late-afternoon walk on the wetlands provided a welcome leg-stretch and some interesting wildlife sightings. The shelduck was my first of the year.

"What would the world be, once bereft

Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,

O let them be left, wildness and wet;

Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet."

- Gerard Manley Hopkins 1844-1889

(Well, there's always our garden.)

I caught sight of the mink in the Jubilee River and thought at first that it was a waterlogged duck, trying to surface - thus missing the chance to photograph it swimming towards me. I kept my eyes on the clump of reeds and rushes it disappeared into and was surprised when it warily poked its head out just feet away from me. It kept sniffing the air but clearly could not see me, while the noise from the weir and the motorway probably drowned out the clicking of the shutter.

The animal is not strictly wildlife as it's an escaped (or "sprung") American mink, but if the species maintains a sustainable population no doubt it will earn a place among British fauna just like birds such as the Canada goose and the doomed ruddy duck. Later: However, it's more likely to be eradicated as an invasive pest. I feel a bit sorry for it. People talk of it having an enormous appetite - well, not for more than it needs, surely?    

On the way back, I hung around by the small footbridge to see if the Cetti's warbler was still present; in fact, I think there were two. Scanning the reeds, I got onto this bittern. The black cap was conspicuous even at distance and in spite of the rapidly fading light. I certainly have better pics of a bittern on my blog but this record shot shows how high up the reeds the bird was perching.

As I left, a second bittern flew across from the south bank and landed rather awkwardly nearby (also high in the reeds), so this area must be what's called "The Lagoon" - although it's really a bay, so I'm not sure. Anyway, a great walk.