When wind and rain lash the cottage for days, and then sunny gentle breezes unexpectedly dominate the Sunday forenoon, a stroll to see our friends the river fowl is in order.
We jump in the car for the 20 minute drive to the carpark at Hambleden End, just a short stroll from Hambleden Lock on the River Thames.
Crossing over the lockgate, we find ourselves on the Thames path, looking for the elusive kingfisher, watching the hordes of Canada geese waddling around the pasture across the water. Summer's baby greebe is gone, but mom (or dad?) is still preening and diving. There are of course lots of gulls, and the occasional pheasant squawk from the hedgerow.
Mom and Dad Swan have come upstream to the lock gate from their usual haunts, probably because the water is high: maybe 1-2 feet above normal, flooding some of their usual gravel shallow. Below the lock he (she?) can stand on a concrete step to preen while she (he?) cruises for touristic breadcrumbs.
But where are the cygnettes? We find them downstream and note for the first time how their juvenile plumage is dropping away, leaving patches of white. They've been as big as their parents for months, and by late winter or spring, they'll look just the same.
The high water has brought a new kind of creature to The River as well. Just under the wier at Hambleden Lock, where the rains of days past pour in a torrent through the gates, the white water enthusiasts come to hone their skills. Helmets and nose-clips firmly attached, a flick of the wrist makes their little craft jump into the turmoil. They balance artfully on the backwash of the standing wave just below the gate, and are finally swept away, perfecting skills at rolling their white water kyaks.
It seems like it might be a little chilly today. I tried it once, though on a VERY HOT day, on a MUCH warmer river, and a MUCH smaller wave. We watch for awhile, and then head back to Lane End for tea with Ruth.
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