Once again this winter, my visit to somewhere affected by the floods was a couple of days after the water levels had begun to fall back. Here Penkridge, with the Penk still spreading beyond its banks, and pools of water spreading across fields and minor roads.
A muddy puddle in the duck pen at Northycote Farm, with some of the ducks wading in it. Sipping from it as they did so, though there was clean drinking water nearby.
Ram, a Jacob’s sheep with a particoloured fleece, nibbling grass at Northycote Farm.
Male muscovy duck takes a drink of water from the Penk inlet to the pool at Perton, then starts crossing the shingle bank there. Half way across, a shake of the wings. Just before reaching the far shore, tips his head right back – an action he’d done repeatedly the last time I’d visited.
View over the largest stretch of open water in the nature reserve area at i54. The camera angle had to be chosen very carefully to get in as much of the pool as possible without showing the constant stream of heavy traffic on the M54 behing the trees.
Bridgnorth, the Severn high but flooding receeded a few days after Storm Ciara. Goosanders just downstream of the old bridge now risen to three. A male and female staying so they were always within sight of one another. A second female, present when I arrived. Then flew off, hidden further downstream, before returning in a while.