Here are some plants by a lake. What do we have? Oh, I don't know . . . some ragwort and plantain, maybe a bit of sorrel and cranesbill . . . and some feathery stuff which might be fennel or not . . . but who cares? They really are of very little interest today because, nearby, are some jolly interesting feet.
I've never looked at the feet of coots (Fulica atra) before. Mostly, when I see coots, they are swimming so their feet are under water. I think I've come across them pottering along edges where their feet are obscured by grass and, if I'm thinking anything, it's 'I wish they were moorhens'. But, here, on the concrete border of Radipole Lake, there's no hiding.
I can hardly believe them. In case you are doubtful too - I promise you, this is what they are like - blue with wavy edges! It's as if they've been crossed with seaweed.
Feet don't get much of a look in. Feathers, yes - but feet?
Here are the pink feet of a herring gull (Larus argentatus). If it were a black headed gull, it would have bright red legs, not pink. If it were a lesser black backed gull, it would have yellow legs. (There would be other differences too - it's just that this is a leg and feet post!)
The red webbed feet of a mallard - Anas platyrhynchos. (This one a male.)
And the black feet of a mute swan (Cygnus olor).
I'm not a bird person. I'm not going to buy a pair of binoculars and start gazing out to sea or onto the water instead of into the hedgerows all of a sudden but . . . well . . . I was bowled over by this lot. However do they manage to walk without falling over? And the colours! And the shapes! And none of them fierce or claw-like.
I usually post at weekends but, since I'm eight feet ahead of myself, I'll press 'publish' now.
P.S. Don't forget to let me know if you have tree following posts you'd like to have mentioned here.
P.S. Don't forget to let me know if you have tree following posts you'd like to have mentioned here.
