Today's mileage included the notorious Chesil Beach, where for a couple of miles that feel like forever, you walk on a thick bed of pebbles. It is S L O W going. The beach has these cabbage-like plants all over the place, maybe an indication that in the future, the surface will be quite different:
I forget what this tree is called, a red something, but it is Asian (Chinese? Tibetan?)
Crossing the string bridge was fun! It was not very high, I must confess:
Looking over a pond:
In the midst of it all:
Goldfish and lily pads:
But we can linger no longer in the delights of the gardens, because it is time to hightail it over to the Swannery, which I had visited and loved on the walk with Wendy several years ago. I was in time for a lecture on birds of prey. So many interesting facts! Maybe I am mixing up the species, but I believe that this barn owl has an especially keen sense of hearing. Indeed, it has one hear on the top of its head and one down the side of its face, and can use one or both as it sees fit—well, actually, it does not see well at all. It flies noiselessly, and the guy giving the talk said that it can hear the heartbeat of its prey at a distance of, oy, I do not remember the distance, but it was impressive. How anyone can know that it is the heartbeat that the bird hears as opposed to, say, the breathing, I have no idea.
This specimen was not intrigued by the lecture:
These two, more so:
Then off to the swans while thunder was rumbling in the background:
One—not one of those above—hissed at me so I changed my route. This beauty was otherwise occupied:
Unprepared for the rain, I had to dash, and so we bid adieu:
Vicki, you are amazing. Congratulations on completing this walk. You are an inspiration! Love the pics.
ReplyDelete