Upper Rivington reservoir was 95% frozen over this afternoon. It must be the lie of the land and the tilt of the sun since both Anglezarke and Lower Rivington (on either of it) remained mostly ice free. Strange too that the gulls and ducks chose to congregate on the frozen reservoir (on the thinnest ice by the unfrozen centre). Maybe they felt safest there?
Below is a poem that didn't make from the field book.
GULL ROOST, LOWER RIVINGTON
In their threes, fives and sixes, they land.
Shake. Expand the flotilla.
From time to time the whole congregation rises,
reels, reshuffles as the sun drags more small parties down
to roost.
Pushing deep into my armchair,
squeezing a Horlicks mug,
I wonder how they cope
as ice crawls from its hiding place,
encircles their legs,
traps them as they rest
with eyes under wings,
sheltered by nothing but themselves.
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from the field book
An inspiring gift for anyone who enjoys watching nature.
4 comments:
That reminds me of our latest visit to a local pond, there was a swan and a goose on the ice and I did wonder why as the moorhens and mallards were swimming in the water at the edges -
I enjoyed your poem, I know Rivington quite well....
Like the poem Carol. Rivington reservoir holds a lot of happy memories for me as it is where we used to walk with our Chorley friends. The water here is also frozen and will no doubt get more so as tonight is to be the coldest of the year.
Enjoyed the poem very much, and admit to having felt like an ice bound duck myself, over the past few days...Brrrrrr
Thanks ladies.
It's still freezing here but the advantage is that I can cross all those muddy fields!
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