Redshank

We decided on a trip to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge today and had a great time. It only rained for about an hour or so and most of the rest of the time was quite reasonable. Obviously I ended up with lots of photos, which has made it hard to decide on the best one to use. I have avoided the temptation to create a collage, as in some ways that feels a bit like cheating.

So goodbye to avocet, black winged stilt, lots of varieties of ducks, geese and swans as well as cranes, flamingos, otters and the like, not forgetting pigeons, moorhens, coots and a beautiful chaffinch, and hello to this redshank with very slimy legs. But then if you look at what it has just waded through you can see why!

When I saw it's legs and those of a number of other birds I was reminded of the words Jesus used to Peter at the last supper when Peter was refusing to have his feet washed. Or more accurately once he had agreed , but wanted to be bathed all over. Jesus said “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean." (John 13v10 NIV) . Just a reminder that even once we have been washed clean, we still pick up rubbish as we walk through life, we still get tainted by what is going on around us.