So, Dragons!…at Caldecotte, what’s that about? Wasn’t it a ‘Wildlife and Sunset Walk’? Yes, it was, so what has that got to do with Dragons?
After everyone had assembled at 7pm, we started our walk around Caldecotte Lake. There were a few Mallard Ducks, some Coot and a Great Crested Grebe meandering about. So, that was good for starters.
Then suddenly the sound of a Chinese drum could be heard. Rhythmically, thumping. As we peered around the corner of the Lake a Dragon Boat appeared through the bushes. This weekend it is the Milton Keynes Dragon Boat Festival, and there were a couple of teams practising on the Lake. So that was a welcome departure from wildlife for a while.
As we progressed on, Nick Steadman pointed out some Bee Orchids growing very close to the pathway. So a few of us captured these interesting plants which imitate female bees. The Dragon boats seemed to have moved on at that point, leaving a few other boats on the lake.
We certainly had our fill geese that night… As we returned, in front of the pub, there was a large gaggle of Grey Lag and Canadian geese parading. It was getting close to sunset at this point. Unfortunately, there were low clouds on the horizon so we were going to struggle to get any colour. So we decided to retire to the pub to have a chat and catch up with what people had been up to. Although there was a small beam of light that broke through the clouds momentarily, it never came to anything. So, we called an end to the evening.
It was a good time for everyone to practice on something a bit different in a relaxed atmosphere. Thanks to everyone who came along.
Photo Credits: Adrian Court, Geoff Runnalls and Doug Murrie