Fray's River Rail

Feeling a lot better today, I headed straight out into Friday's traffic choked streets after work. Wrong move, wrong direction. I looped back to the Frays River where I'm pretty sure I saw a Water Rail for the first time. And then doubled back up to Uxbridge Common, round the back of a cricket match and up the former Hillingdon ski slope where the nylon bristle surface still pokes out from the overgrowth. Then back to the golf course and along the London Wildlife Trust Trail, around the lake where Black Poplar cotton littered the ground. A bird hide had a pencilled list of birds that was depressing because I identified more bird species in ten minutes than were listed after six months (and no, I didn't add my comments because someone had borrowed the pencil since the last comment by A. Bird last week).

An encounter with ten path blocking horses in the trees added a small detour. Another with a group of curious heifers gave me pause for thought.

I had covered just under ten km by the time I got back to Uxbridge. One item easily overlooked - the local paths have been trimmed passable again - thank you to whoever does this.

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Willow Walk

I needed a walk after one too many defining moments at work. Out on Uxbridge Common, it was nice to see an Akita walker, radio controlled helicopter and teenagers all enjoying the warm evening. Across the M40, in the golf course, I had to wait while three drove off from the first tee - their encouraging banter sounded pathetically banal since I wasn't in their zone. Onto the London Wildlife Trust Trail in Denham Lock Lake Wood (really, I saw this tongue twister on a sign) where I asked one of several lurking, tented fisherman what he was fishing for - Carp mate. There are a few forty pounders but they never come out mate! Several great crested grebe, tufted duck and mallard busied themselves as I swept insects from my eyes and mouth. Squeaking cooties swam to the protection of their parents at water's edge while swans were chasing geese behind them. Then I saw a dead carp among willow flotsam, at least twenty pounds suggesting there are some trophies waiting to be mounted.

I emerged onto the Quarry Road and decided to follow it north to Harefield. I'm glad I did. A hundred metres later, under the black, overhung, rain threatening cloud, a little breeze ruffled a stand of big willow trees and the catkins popped a snow of cotton. It was beautiful in the evening light. Tinkerbells or fairies, they littered the lake surface.

Back down by the climbing walls in the leisure centre and once more across the golf course before passing Denham Deep Lock, the deepest on the Grand Union Canal. I even crossed paths with Snow White on my way back; are we all power walking in fear of the big one? I was out for 2 1/2 hours and covered 12.7 km, stopping often to take pictures or just enjoy the scenes.

Thanks to Dave & Rona.