Lockdown Day 52 - The Ugly Duckling

My longest walk since lockdown.  I started out before 7 and was out until lunchtime on a glorious day with good weather clouds building up as the day went on.  I hadn't planned a route, allowing me to adapt to what I found and in the end I walked from home, through Pelsall and Brownhills, over to Chasewater then returning via Little Wyrley.  I mainly used canals or old railway lines.

There were a couple of highlights.  Firstly the profusion of new life on the water, whether it by ducklings, coot chicks, goslings or cygnets.  In fact not one group of cygnets but two.  I made an effort to get down to water level with the lens, remembering some advice I'd got from a much better wildlife photographer.  Doing so is supposed to make the resultant image more engaging, which I hope you agree.  It did mean lying prostrate on the towpath, holding the camera and lens just above the water and using the articulating rear screen to focus and compose.

The other highlight was prompted by seeing a couple drinking out a Starbucks paper cups at Chasewater.  When I asked I realised they'd got it from a local petrol station on the A5 and while it was a bit of a diversion, it was worth it to have a proper cup of coffee from a bean to cup machine.

In the end I just got back in time for lunch.  A relaxing afternoon and we've just been out for the weekly Clap For Carers.

Day Miles: 16.2 miles Total miles: 616.4  miles