Enjoying the water

I was back in Inverness today, taking my daughter to an orthodontic appointment. But instead of going back to the car to sit and wait as I usually do, (I'm not supposed to accompany her in the building because of covid restrictions) I thought I should have a quick wander down to the river to see if I could find things to photograph.

The sun was shining and the air was still and felt like Spring again today. To get down to the river I walked down a street I'd never been on. After recent times, that felt almost like I was exploring a holiday destination!

When I got to the Ness the first thing I noticed was this great little group of gulls, who were basically sunning and preening themselves in the water. Each of them ducking their heads under every so often, and then splashing their wings about - I guess it's their washing ritual. To me it seemed like they were getting a great deal of pleasure from it, perhaps because of the sun warming the water for them? Anyway, I stood against the wall and enjoyed watching and listening for a few minutes. I loved the rhythmic, gentle sound of their splashes. I think it had a similar refreshing effect for me as listening to waves at a beach does. Once again, I almost felt like I was on holiday! Five minutes later though I sadly had to return to the car.