The Wind in the Reeds

[puddleshark]

Over to Wareham, early, to take the path along the River Frome; because on days when the wind is blowing, stirring the reeds all around you, setting them to whispering, you can make a ritual walk through the reedbeds, and the reeds will brush away all memory of the past week.




The grassy track down to the river, soft underfoot after July rain.


To one side, a drainage channel and a curtain of reeds between you and a field of curious bullocks.



To the other side, a ditch overgrown with water dropwort, meadowsweet, rosebay willowherb: everything wound about with honeysuckle, bindweed and tufted vetch.






Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). So many Red Admirals on the wing today. It was Red Admirals all the way. They must have migrated in on the south wind we had last week.



Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea). Slightly unusual colouring - blue markings instead of apple green.

Onto the narrow riverbank path, through the reeds:







No noise but the wind in the reeds and in the rigging of the moored yachts. Bursts of song from hidden warblers. The clucking of moorhens in drainage channels.


Video. Click to go to Flickr. My camera is hopeless at videos on windy days, all you get is the sound of the wind in the microphone. You might just be able to hear a warbler.


Glimpses now and then of the river.









Along the path, late summer flowers: hemp agrimony, great willowherb, purple loosestrife, comfrey, corn sow-thistle.






Peacock (Aglais io).


The church tower of Lady St Mary's in Wareham, never getting any closer, no matter how long you walk. The path follows the river, and the river winds, and winds back on itself. Almost, but not quite, to the point of infinity.


Finally, finally nearing Wareham, and a great crowd of boats on the river for summer.

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

I love this: ...the reeds will brush away all memory of the past week.

And the photos are incredible.

[puddleshark]

Thank you!

The wind nearly blew me in the river at one point - trying to be helpful, perhaps - but here I am safely at the beginning of another working week.

[heleninwales]

I hope the reeds brushed away all the negative memories of the past week and left the pleasant ones.

Wind is a nightmare for video. For shooting vide I have an external microphone for my Canon M50 with one of the those furry covers, but wind is still a huge problem.

[puddleshark]

Thank you. I always feel better for a walk through the reedbeds, though (or perhaps because) the path is narrow and overgrown and full of treacherous slopes and unexpected holes.

Maybe I should look into external mikes. The built-in one is no use at all. I've been trying to video skylarks singing all summer, and all I get is wind noise.

[heleninwales]

The sound quality with an external mike is much better than the one built into the camera. They're not very expensive either. Or rather, you can get a decent one for a reasonable price. Like any tech, the very top of the range are stupidly expensive.

[house_wren]

Thank you for the walk!

[puddleshark]

You're welcome!

My favourite walk for a windy day...

[kaishin108]

What Stunning photos! Oh oh my. That dragonfly wow. And the butterflies!
You should submit a few to the BBC as their photos from England for this past week were not that impressive.

Thanks for posting these. :)

[puddleshark]

Thank you!

It was so windy that the dragonflies and butterflies were having to shelter in the vegetation - it made for some lovely close-ups.

[asakiyume]

You know the poem that begins "Who has seen the wind"?

--Well, you have, and you made me see and feel it in stillness: amazing.

The bee enjoying the comfrey ^_^

The peacock butterfly--wow!

And the reedlike masts in the last photo <3

Thank you

[puddleshark]

Thank you!

I have so much fun photographing things that cannot be photographed! The wind. Swallows swooping round me. Dragonflies in flight. :)