Caen Hill Locks

I had heard that, as in previous springs, a pair of swans were nesting beside one of the locks on the famous Caen Hill flight of locks near Devizes, and went along to see for myself.

I parked at the bottom of the flight and weaved my way up on the towpath and the paths behind the side ponds. The nesting pair were near the top, beside the Boto-X Lock, with the cob floating on a side pond and his partner on the nest, and didn't mind my presence at all, although I got very close to the nest.

I got a take-away cappuccino from Caen Hill Café and drank it wandering around the adjacent Moorings, and sat at a bench table reading in the sunshine for forty minutes or so. While I was on a path between two side ponds and approaching the nesting pair again, I had probably the best sighting of a kingfisher I have ever had. It flew swiftly anti-clockwise around the perimeter of two side ponds, passing directly in front of me and over the swans and returning to where I had first seen it, in front of the sun, until I lost sight of it.

There was a tree there, where a warden had told me the previous year was a good spot for sighting the kingfishers that nested nearby, but I had never seen any there until that day. Needless to say, photography was impossible due to speed and distance. The sun was low and there was a mackerel sky as I made my way back to Archie, parked in a lay-by used by anglers.

L.
7.4.2014 (1356/1505 hr)

Blip #1226
Consecutive Blip #088
Day #1465

Alternatives:
Caen Hill Flight
Narrowboat Dog At The Moorings
Flight Of Locks During The Golden Hour
Under Marsh Lane Bridge

A Visit To The Caen Hill Locks, 29 March 2014 (Flickr set)

Lenses: Pentax 17-70mm, Pentax 55-300mm

Caen Hill series
Canals series
Kennet and Avon Canal series
Spring 2014 series
Swan series

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Nitin Sawhney - Sunset (2001)

One year ago: Smokey 1006 hr