With the sun on our face and an aromatic salty smell in the air, we walked along the old Saxon shore way, around Oare Marshes nature reserve and along the Swale estuary towards Conyer creek.
This old sailing barge was making its way up the Swale, against the wind, tacking and jibing along the narrow channel, I think thats the correct term, amazingly these old sailing barges can be crewed with just two people.
I love to watch these old Thames sailing barges, not exactly a tall ship, but they do have an air of elegance about them with their distinctive red brown sails.
Once the river workhorse of the 19th Century, transporting commercial goods up and down the river, sometimes beyond, sadly now, only used for pleasure cruise's.
The East flood was busy with lots of birds tooing and froing, just a bit too distant for the camera, so here's a view across the flood, plenty of Black Tailed Godwits some in their breeding plumage can just about be picked out in the photo.
This Little Egret flew up from the sluice and posed nicely on the fence,
A few Butterflies showed along the banks of the estuary mainly Meadow brown's, Small White, Green veined white and a few Small Tortoiseshell, I was hoping to see a Clouded Yellow or maybe a Painted Lady, but not this time.
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| Green Veined White |
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| Meadow Brown |
Dragonflies were represented mainly by Ruddy Darters .
Being new to the world of Odonata I can still get excited by a relatively common species that I have not come across before.
Like this Black Tailed Skimmer which landed on the gravel track in front of us, just long enough to get a few photographs.
Love the colour of those eyes.
Very enjoyable walk, will be back to search for those Clouded yellows later in the summer.
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