Pot of gold

There are plenty of things I should have been doing today but when I woke up to blue skies I decided to make the most of it as the forecast is pretty wild. Would have gone to Minsmere but thought I'd stay even more local and headed down to the river.

It's clear that the river has overflowed its banks at some point over last couple of days as the playing field at the side of The Quay is very waterlogged. Walked along past a row of fishermen on the bank down towards the sailing club. Could hear birdcalls and got a very ropey picture of a male Reed Bunting in winter plumage (so it transpires).

Instead of retracing my steps I continued on the loop back along tracks through the marshes. Again, birds were calling from hedgerows and it was quite clear that the courting season has definitely started for the Wrens.

By now the sky was beginning to look very threatening so I headed back to the car and a local cafe. Sure enough the Stygian gloom soon turned into torrential rain. As I left the cafe the storm was passing and the sun began to come out. On impulse I took an alternative route home and was soon rewarded by a rainbow over the marshes but, of coursed, I was driving. So I doubled back along a now unused road and stopped next to a field of stubble. It was still raining quite hard but I noticed that the rainbow was showing beautifully behind this tree.

It has already been pointed out by a much better photographer than me that I got the settings all wrong. Nothing I can do about that now so I hope you like the results anyway.