The catch of a lifetime.

I was staring up into a tree on the bank of the river trying to get a good shot of a fledgling greater spotted woodpecker.

Then I looked down for a moment to the river at the foot of the tree.

To my utter astonishment there it was, larger than life, smiling up at me with a fair sized fish in its mouth













AN OTTER!



I never thought I would ever see such a thing in the mid day heat, in a small river, in rural Oxfordshire. But there it was. My camera was in my hand
Snap!

Not the best shot technically; the setting were for a bird flying.

But when I checked the screen, there it was.

I have caught a kingfisher once, and that was wonderful, but this is beyond special.

I have talked to people who say they fish about the otter being here.
I mentioned it in my first post of the nature blog.

But I didn't really believe they were here.

Now, not only have I seen one, I have caught him smiling up at me.

Kudos Mr Nick Owen

Oak and ash and thorn 

There is a lovely old folk song I used to hear called "Oak and ash and thorn", a celebration of the English countryside. It is time for the leaves on the great big trees to come pushing through into the world once more.

The weather has become wintry, which is not what you would expect for late May. the trouble is there are no clear expectations of our weather any more. Even the butterflies are in trouble. Out early in the heat of March they probably wish they had not emerged now.

Oak before ash, there'll be no but a splash

Ash before oak and we're in for a soak

I think the oak is just a little ahead, in spite of the soaking we already had.





















Did I post these roots already? I like them so much. The rivulet was quite a stream still at this point.

This is a real art shot. I took it when the flood was very much at the height.

                                                      This was a very peculiar piece of debris. How did it get here ?                       

A day later the river had risen still higher and when I came back it was about 400 yards further down the river. No sign of the drowned calf though.

Eventually the waters went down enough to let us back into the meadow once more. This lovely pool was left behind.

The bluebells have grown really tall on all the water this year; almost too tall.

Little trajedies happen all the time in spring. WEas it the cuckoo we keep hearing who took this one?

    

foraging

waters slowly go down, but there is a long way to go before the flow is normal

The water was spread all across the valley; now it is a shrinking lake

 Sophie almost caught this one. Poor thing was lucky to escape.

Finally the May is out. It is so late this year. |Why?

Floods recede, but the sun stays away

Poor swans. I wonder what happened to their nests. The waters have receded. But what is the cost? I am pleased with coming close to good exposure with this shot. Just a little bit blown in the centre.

I love these giant roots above the tiny streamlet that grew as deep as the river

Just a reminder of the wild winds and heavy clouds which may not yet be a thing of the past

The first flowering of the trees is over now. The hawthorn should be out now, but it does not seem to grow here

My trial CS6 is yielding me colours which are not quite right. This is a tad oversaturated. I will get it right eventually.

More bluebell enchantment

This is a most unusual piece of debris. Can't think why anyone would have simply left it here. But where did it come from? There were so many things from the last big flood. This one did not have that single vast downpour.

strange debris

the river was not quite at its height here

There is a beauty in the reflections of water left behind by the flooding.

From high on the hill on a gloomy but rainless afternoon we see what is left of the flood waters down below

                                                                           


Pollards. I hate them

This gives some of the flavour of gloom left without the thrill of wind and rain. No signs yet of sunshine.

                                                           

We saw three heron making off across the far fields the other day. This is one I caught earlier, a couple of weeks ago

Kingfisher corner with a very full river before the flood

The same position a day later with the whole valley inundated

More pictures of the drought/ er ....floods.

Please do not doubt
It's still a drought

If what you see
Seems wet to me

The water isn't here to stay
It very soon will go away
Or so they say

The forecast is for rain ahead
I recommend you stay in bed

This drought is spreading very fast
They say it's sure to last and last

For very soon the roads will crack
Then sanity might yet come back

I become less and less impressed with the Environment Agency. The little cow is now washed almost anywhere and may turn up on a footpath eventually.

Meanwhile they give a flood alert for Abingdon but ignore the whole valley of the Evenlode being flooded.
I guess there are no roads under water.

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/34681.aspx?area=061WAF23Abingdon&page=1&type=Region&term=Southeast


Please excuse the dogerral. This drought business becomes more absurd with each passing rainy day.

It has become very real today. The valley cannot be entered. It reached the top of my boots before I could even reach the style or kissing gate.

Before and after: from drought to flood in the valley.

Today I thought it might be interesting to share with you the recent changes in the contours of the valley.

Here is a series of before and after pictures showing you just how much the waters have risen. There were ten days of rain before any noticeable change occurred. Then, in two days, the river rose rapidly. There was more rain again last night. I am pretty sure the water will have risen again for May Day. But that will be for discovery this afternoon.


This lovely scene becomes

This one

 The footbridge at Stonesfield changes from this

to this:

and this:

The ford in the valley changes from this, being traversed by the farmer

to this ice up version in February

and this haunting scene from yesterday

the meadow becomes a water meadow

and our favourite picnic spot by the willow goes under water

the meadow as it was a few days ago

All under water now

Gabrielle took this one of me by a children's wigwam.

someone resited these to make a sort of a bridge. By yesterday they were simply floating free