My Walk this Week 229 – Making Use of Cwmdonkin Park Swansea

Posted on 23/10/202022/10/2020 by Alastair

My walk this week is in Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea and the Autumn colours were starting to show. Many people were making use of the park on this sunny Sunday afternoon, not least because of impending tightening of coronavirus lockdown measures.

Cwmdonkin Autumn

The coronavirus lockdowns are taking their toll in many ways and most particularly on people’s mental health. It is hardly surprising that so many take the opportunity of a sunny day to get out to local urban oases such as Cwmdonkin Park. For some it is not so simple to get out and about, even without lockdowns, but maybe the short video below can help in some small way.

There is also a full StillWalks® Autumn video on the StillWalks home page if you are interested.

Natural Congregation and Reviewing the Walk

Posted on 02/10/201603/09/2016 by Alastair

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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Swans taking flight

Walkers, joggers and pram pushers

Sitting ducks

green lake

Feeding Frenzy

Kittywake

Mothers in the park

railings and boats

Roath’s Pride

Monument – Scott Memorial Lighthouse

taking a nap

Roath Park, Cardiff

cormorant concentrating

Spectating

Avian Profiles in Roath Park

Posted on 01/10/201603/09/2016 by Alastair

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.

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Reflecting

cormorant concentrating

A Common Meeting but a Rare Occasion

Posted on 29/09/201602/09/2016 by Alastair

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.

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railings and boats

Roath’s Pride

fancy columns

Rowlocks composition

Monument – Scott Memorial Lighthouse

Walking Through the Seasons

Posted on 17/11/201517/11/2015 by Alastair

The fact that every year we see similar sights in Autumn (or any other season) to the ones we saw the previous year does not make them any less enjoyable. In fact we look forward to the sights that different seasons bring with them – colours, textures and patterns. The fact that we can feel continually in awe of the same things happening again and again is perhaps an essential survival mechanism.

The changes we see, feel and benefit from repeatedly as the seasons go by, are most noticeable in the natural world. This suggests how important it is to have that world an integral part of our urban landscape and planning and to have footpath access to open countryside.

Whether it be in a city park, a country lane, open hills or simply a tree lined street, walking with awareness of the natural elements of the local environment is something I could not do without.