Marlborough

I went for a walk along the River Kennet from Marlborough towards Manton. I had heard there was a chance of seeing a water vole and it was a stretch I hadn't walked before. Early on I met a couple of young anglers who asked me to take their picture. I did so but either the focusing was out or there were leaves in front of one of their faces, but there were delighted to have been photographed regardless of the result. The path led me briefly to detour onto the Marlborough College Nature Trail before resuming and fetching up at St George's in Preshute, on the outskirts of the village of Manton.

I crossed the river there and found a well-used path alongside it on the other side, which I took and found it skirted the edge of the grounds of Marlborough College. I managed to startle a waterfowl which I saw out of the corner of my eye disappear into the river. I walked up to where it had been and saw this nest, which I believe is that of a moorhen. After a hurried snap I went quickly on my way to allow the parent bird to return. The path led me back to the Nature Trail beside a fishing lake I had looked at earlier, so I was able to rejoin the main path there and walk back to the road bridge where the walk had begun.

From the bridge I could see the delightful spectacle of Old Tom and his wife with their brood of chicks.

L.
13.6.2014 (2059 hr)

Blip #1289
Consecutive Blip #151
Day #1528

Lenses: Pentax 17-70 mm, Pentax 55-300 mm x1.4 converter


River Kennet series

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Carole King - Pleasant Valley Sunday (1966 Demo)
Carole King's original 1966 demo of this Goffin-King song was not released at the time, but was used as the source of the Monkees' hit recording. Like other girl writers of the time, notably Jackie DeShannon and Ellie Greenwich, much of their best sixties work was used in this way. I prefer this to the Monkees version.