I'm not a fan of walking in the rain, so whenever a sunny day offers itself, I'm out there either pottering round the garden or further afield - in this case to Straw's Bridge/Swan Lake Nature Reserve between West Hallam and Ilkeston.
Sadly there are less swans than last year - acouple of dozen previously, but only a handful now - as bird flu struck the area over summer, but it's still a pretty spot for a short walk, and a little bird-watching.
Geese and seagulls have joined the resident birds for winter, bustling about hoping for food from visitors, and cormorants and herons were standing on the 'islands' in the centre of the lake.
The first lake, visible from the car park, is always busiest with both people and birds, but beyond it lie more tranquil spots, though the male swan here was very protective of his family, snapping at walkers passing by.
The path leads on to join the longer Nutbrook trail which runs for ten miles from Long Eaton to Heanor following the route of former canals. It's flat and well-surfaced but I wasn't looking for a marathon hike so just walked along it to a path which leads back to Straw's Bridge and the car
No comments:
Post a Comment