Rain and two herons

It rained a lot yesterday, and I got soaked twice. First on a return visit to the wound clinic in search of dressings I omitted to ask for yesterday, then in the evening, walking across the parish for a pastoral visit before the christening of two infants a week Sunday at St John's. Such a miserable August. Both my sets of rainwear are old and no longer fit for purpose. It really is time that I ditched them for something a bit more suitable for lots of outdoor walking. I hate walking in the rain, and avoid if possible, but miss the exercise even more.

The weather was kinder today and my early evening walk took me up to Llandaff Weir. The Taff was in full spate and the roar of water over the two metre drop in level was hypnotic, almost deafening. Gulls which normally populate the river course were parked with the mallards in still water above the weir. No sign of the resident heron.

I then walked downstream to Blackweir bridge. As I approached I saw a heron fly up river and take refuge in a riverbank tree. I've seen this unusual behaviour once before by the pond in Dr Jephson's Gardens in Leamington Spa. As I was crossing the bridge, I noticed a second heron, the younger one that I've seen before, standing on housing of the fish ladder. Normally herons prefer the waters edge, but with the water high and turbulent, this bird had chosen the one possible vantage point from which prey might be visible in shallow water pouring down the slope of the weir. They're such solitary birds, that despite there being plenty of room, there'd be no room for two.

As I walked on downstream, about five minutes later, I heard a loud squawking noise and saw what may have been the younger bird flying down river, and alighting at the water's edge on the east bank. Ousted from the fish ladder housing by the older bird I suspect. I wish I'd been there to catch a photo of that little altercation. I've added to my expanding collection of Taff birds here.

I watched an episode I hadn't seen before of 'Endeavour', the Inspector Morse prequel on ITV3 in the evening. The new Danish crimmie on BBC Four I've not been following this time. Maybe I'll watch it on catch-up if we have any more prolonged dreary rainy days.