Kittywake

My Walk this Week 174 – Roath Remembered

My walk this week is another recap – a September walk round Roath Park in Cardiff in 2016. It is a popular park for humans, dogs and a multitude of birds of many different varieties. Although the shot below is of ordinary pigeons (they are interesting creatures in their own right) the view of them all lined up like spectators on top of the curved fence demanded that I photograph them.

pigeons

I can’t remember why I was in Cardiff but I can clearly remember being in the park and enjoying the surrounding sights and sounds and the activities of people and birds alike.Continue reading

Natural Congregation and Reviewing the Walk

This arc of pigeons arranged on the railings at the end of my walk this week in Roath Park, Cardiff, give the appearance of spectators at an event – but what is the event? I am pretty sure there was nothing going on out of our view here, that it is just a natural congregation of birds probably having a bit of siesta in the early afternoon, but your guess is as good as mine. Anyone got any suggestions?

pigeons

Play the soundscape below and click the first thumbnail of selected images from this week’s posts to watch them in sequence.

Roath Park Soundscape

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Avian Profiles in Roath Park

Nearing the end of my walk this week and one of the eastern exits to Roath Park in Cardiff, I am struck by the classic pose set by this cormorant. There are many, many birds of many different species in Roath Park but determining the variety of any specific bird is somewhat of a challenge to me. So I think this is a cormorant and the other avian profile in the images below I think is a Yellow Legged Gull in its first year . . . but don’t quote me on it. The swans I know are swans but what variety of swan I could not say.

Not being able to identify many of the creatures, avian or otherwise, or much of the plant life I see around me in any given environment, does not reduce or hamper my enjoyment and appreciation of that environment, either natural or urban. The naming and labelling of things has its advantages when it comes to communication and understanding but for the purposes of StillWalks and my own personal enjoyment of my surroundings and the benefits I get from it, it is not necessary to name everything. Indeed, considering that StillWalks videos have no voiceovers (or music), it is not necessary to name anything! It is only in my blog posts that you will “hear my voice” so to speak.

cormorant

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Stepping Down for an Overflow Drink

Walking along the southern end of Roath Park lake on my walk this week, I wonder if there is a particular attraction to this duck of the water falling down the lake’s overflow. Does it taste better than that in the lake itself? Perhaps it has a need for extra oxygen – who knows? It’s probably just a whim.

taking a drink

Overflow

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A Common Meeting but a Rare Occasion

It is a rare occasion that I will post photos of specific people let alone members of my family, but I have to say I like this photo of my daughter Ellen. Taken a year ago as we met in Roath Park following her meeting at Cardiff Met University. She has since completed her Masters in English and gained a distinction and a year later has presented a paper at this year’s Tolkien Society Oxonmoot. She also has a blog and says she intends to post more often!

We met before I had completed my circuit of Roath Lake and so we carried on round with me taking photos along the way.

Ellen Duncan

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Feeding Frenzy

Walking round Roath Park lake in Cardiff there were many opportunities to photograph the birds – trouble is they will insist on moving! Fast shutter speeds and quick reflexes will suffice but you still have to take a load of pulse shots to have any hope of freezing there sometimes frenzied motion – particularly when they are fighting over food.

More relaxed are the mothers and their their babies enjoying the natural environment in the centre of a busy city.

Kittywake

I think this is a Kittywake

Feeding Frenzy

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Sitting Ducks

Literally – sitting ducks! But no danger to them I think. My walk this week around the lake in Roath Park, Cardiff was peaceful but not quiet. I wouldn’t describe either the lake or the park as overcrowded, but there was plenty of both human and wildlife enjoying the day there.

sitting ducks

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My Walk this Week – Roath Park

My walk this week is from September last year. I had given my daughter a lift to Cardiff and while she did her thing I did mine, namely a walk round the lake in Roath Park.

It is a beautiful and popular park with many different birds, people and dogs all enjoying an opportunity to walk, jog, run, play, cycle, fly, feed, look, listen or just sit and take it all in.

Roath park-2

Ducks and Dogs in Roath Park

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