Bay bird walk

It was both a relief and a pleasure to wake up at first light and find that the sky was clear of cloud for the first time in many days. After breakfast and a couple of hours of writing, I headed out on foot to walk the length of the Taff Trail down to the Bay Wetland, and take photos. When I checked my photo archive I was surprised to find that it's five years since I last did the walk in full.

After a week's rain, the colours of fallen leaves were not so vivid, and there were fewer birds around. However, the sunny verge next to the footpath along the edge of Grangetown, south of the city centre was occupied by hundreds of Pigeons and a couple of dozen Swans, taking respite from a keen wind. In the wetland reserve,

In Hamadryad Park, I spotted a solitary Grey Heron, statuesque in a bed of crumpled reed and grass.

A family of Cormorants occupied a small island in the wetland enclosure on the west side of the St David's hotel.

Hundreds of Gulls were roosting, then rising like clouds into the air, as if taking exercise, then settling again.

Apart from a few Coots and a few more Swans, this was all I saw or heard. Winter is here indeed, but I'm so thankful for a couple of hours walking in the sunshine, even if I did catch buses to get back home, not least to take refuge from the wind.

When spring comes and birds are on the move again, I must make the effort to visit here regularly, not least for the exercise. Two hours walking left me feeling quite tired, but that's what happens these days if I don't maintain a daily regime of walking for an hour or so. 'Use it or lose it' takes on more meaning with advancing years.