This afternoon I biked to see the birds on the riverside lakes: gulls, terns, ducks, geese and swans near where the new cut rejoins the Great Ouse. A flock of Canada geese paddled from bank to bank before gathering in the middle of the lake. There was a rising chorus of honking as they readied themselves for take-off - all at the same time by common consent, it seemed. And then they went silent, took off together, and within seconds of geting airborne, they rose above the trees in characteristic V-shaped formation and headed south towards Priory Country Park. It was magic. Then I returned to work on this sketch. It is based on a photo taken a few weeks ago. This is the left hand section, showing the gatekeeper at the entrance of the construction site. The gatekeeper is standing on one of the rectangular rubber mats which prevent too much ground damage from the constant stream of lorries. This entrance way is also the place where vehicles are spray-cleaned on exit from the site. Tomorrow I will develop the detail and finish off this sketch by adding his assistant on the right hand side. |