Return to Sychnant

This morning we return to Sychnant, to the same small lake where we had seen the Carneddau last weekend. It’s a short, unchallenging walk, with the promise of a quiet, meditative time spent by the water. 

Of course I’m not expecting the magical appearance of the ponies today - that was a very special experience unlikely to be repeated. What I am hoping for are swallows, diving down, skimming the water as they did last Sunday. I’ve brought my 600 lens today, hoping to improve on previous shots, but when we get to the lake it seems almost devoid of any life. 

Last week we were shocked by how little water remained, and this week there is even less; we wonder whether there will be any left at all after the heat of the next few days. The lake bed is largely bone dry and cracked, just small patches of water remaining over which skim dragonflies at speeds impossible to capture, the sound of crashing wings occasionally breaking the silence. 

We scan the sky for signs of swallows, but there are very few, and their forays over the water so infrequent, my chances of a successful capture are virtually zero. There are distant stonechats, but none near enough to photograph. 

A lone sheep wanders down along the cracked mud edges, eyeing us suspiciously, before finding a small stretch of water from which to drink, mirrored in the still surface. The scene is beautiful, yet poignant; how long will this water source remain for the creatures if these hills? 

I change lenses - though I will regret this - and move closer to the water, then catch sight of a pied wagtail on the other side. Never still, he prances and flutters near the edges, catching some grub then flying off, reflected in the water yellow and purple from the gorse and heather growing on the slopes above. 

So rather than the intended swallow, today’s main is this little wagtail - though I know the sheep in extras is technically a ‘better’ photograph. And there’s also a shot of the  ‘lake’ showing just how little water there is left. 

The rest of the day is spent quietly at home. I have a letter from Liverpool Royal telling me my CT scan confirms I can have a Capsule Endoscopy (appointment soon apparently) but that it also shows that I have gallstones! Whatever next, I wonder!  

Thank you again for all your lovely comments!