Avocet

It’s a Sunday of surprises. First, we’re pleasantly surprised that for the most part it doesn’t rain - though our walk around the nature reserve at Rye Harbour is, in fairness, rather damp! 

Rye is as quant and fascinating as anticipated, festively decked in Jubilee colours and gently buzzing with Bank Holiday activities. We come close to being invited to a neighbourhood outdoor lunch, a rather smart and colourful character assuring us there’s plenty of food left, but we suspect our walking attire will quickly give us away as interlopers. 

Our uncharacteristic lack of research means the discovery of Lamb House, home of writer Henry James, comes as another surprise. Fortunately, we have our National Trust cards with us, and the house and gardens are delightful. We continue along the cobbled streets to St Mary’s Church, topping Rye’s walled citadel. Inside the historic walls we find another surprise - a performance of Morris dancing. Now while I like the sense of history and tradition that comes with the this quintessentially English style, it’s really not my ‘thing’, so the sight of goth-style dancers bell-free, dancing to a somber Breton tune was fascinating. These were the Black Swan group, mixed gender black and purple garbed dancers performing Border Morris - a style emanating from the English-Welsh border area. Who knew? More on this in the link https://www.blackswanbordermorris.co.uk
And there’s are exquisite workmanship of the Rye Millennium Quilt where even shells and seaweed have been crafted from fabric. 

It’s then on to a short circuit around Rye Harbour reserve - the low cloud and misty rain adding to the raw beauty of the salt-marsh area. Initially, it’s just the landscape which takes our attention, few birds being evident. But soon the air is filled with the melody of skylarks - then the raucous calls of black-headed gulls that gather overhead in murmurations. 

Finally, as we head back to the start, we spot avocets wading elegantly, feeding with what must be the avian equivalent of chopsticks. Such beautiful birds, it’s a joy to see them a such close quarters. 

It’s been a day of many, many photographs, but today it’s an avocet that makes the main, another in extras with some collage ‘tasters’.