Never seen that before!

JennyMorgan · August 22, 2015

Things, like corporation buses and big bills, always come along in threes. Nothing special in this case but nevertheless I think worthy of comment.

I have had kingfishers sit on my fishing rod and on the edge of a moored Canadian canoe but in this case I was quietly sailing along Oulton Dyke when a cheeky chappy alighted on a rope at the front of my boat, hitching a ride over several hundred yards before disappearing in a flash of vivid colour. I didn't dare move, enjoying the company of this little fellow.

Second event, never seen anything like it before, involved baby harnsers. There is a small heronry near my home and we have been watching it all summer, enjoying the spectacle of several would be sepulchre like parents standing in the tree tops. As the sun set yesterday the young came out to play, buzzing around the tree tops, rising and falling on the breeze, lifting off and settling gracefully back on their nests. There is something primeval about herons, not lost on the miniature young, absolute replicas of their parents. At one point we counted seven airborne youngsters but we were also aware of several others in the nests. We wondered if any of the passing boats realised what we were watching.

The third event happened as we were furling the sails. We watched the lowering moon turning from gold, to orange and to a deepening red as it settled behind the reeds. eventually disappearing beneath the marshes, unhindered by mist or clouds. The setting moon seemingly dropping faster than a setting sun. An evening of quite some beauty, a privilege to have witnessed.

Edited August 22, 2015 by JennyMorgan

Gracie · August 22, 2015

So beautifully put, as I was reading I felt I was there with you :clap

Grace

JennyMorgan · August 22, 2015

Gracie, you would have been welcome, shoes and all! Nothing that could be planned for, it just happened, as such things tend to do.

Hockham Admiral · August 22, 2015

A joy to read, Peter! :clap :clap :clap

ExUserGone · August 22, 2015

On my old boat in the cambs fens we once had a sqwark of noise beside us and as we turned to look there was 3 kingfishers in about a cubic foot of air directly beside us have a squabble, could almost touch them, nearly hit the bank due to not watching where I was going.

One of those images never to forget.