Tales From The Riverbank

I very nearly had a ride up to The Lake District today, until I looked at the weather forecast and decided it really wasn't going to be worth it, so instead, I decided to visit Duxbury Woods, one of two large public woods here in less than sunny Chorley. Once the home of pilgrim father Myles Standish, the woods and remains of the buildings are now owned by Chorley Council along with what I believe is a very nice golf course (not my sort of thing, but the car park came in handy today). This was a regular haunt for me when I was a kid, but I haven't been there in years. On my walk last weekend, I skirted the South end of these woods, which whetted my appetite to revisit this once familiar location.

As I figured this wouldn't be a strenuous walk, I decided to whip out the big guns in the form of the GFX100S and the 32-64 + 45-100 lenses as they've not been getting much love lately due to my aching lower back. In the end, it was about three miles and my back just about coped, although I was rather glad to dump the bag and tripod back in the boot of the car at the end of it.

The forecast was overcast, with potential for a bit of rain (well, it is summer here in Lancashire, so I'd expect nothing more) with very little wind, which is pretty much ideal for woodland, apart from the potential of showers, which did strike, briefly, but the tree canopy pretty much shielded me and the camera from that.

All images taken with the GFX100S on a tripod with a CPL adjusted to reduce glare from foliage and water. Processed from single raw files in Capture One Pro 23.

Easy Target

I came across this tree before I'd even entered the woods, it's at the top of the path leading down into the place and it was just begging to be photographed.

Soggy Feet

The path in the woods follows the River Yarrow, a river that originates high in the hills on Anglezarke Moor, before meandering down through Rivington and into Duxbury Woods. Inconsiderately, the Victorians built a big reservoir chain in between its source and the woods, so it has to jump through a few hoops, well, reservoirs, before its free to get on with its job of weaving its way around the South end of Chorley on its way to the sea. Anyway, when I took this I was doing a reasonable impression of troll by standing in the river beneath the bridge that crosses it as I figured that was the only way to get all the elements I wanted to into the shot. On reflection, I'd say there are way too many interesting elements in the shot, leading to a messy composition that I had high hopes for but doesn't really work. I shall return at some point and try again.

Meanwhile On The Far Bank

I quite liked the way the branches of this tree frame the other trees behind it. The balsam at the bottom adds a splash of colour, even if it is an invasive pest.

Once More Into The River

I spotted another combination of trees I quite liked and ended up stood in the river again in an attempt to organise them how I wanted. That shot didn't really grab me during editing, but I also shot this in X-Pan format while I was stood there. I think it works better than the shot I'd planned to take.

Creepy Tree

There's always one, lurking around a corner to jump out at you in the mist and on this walk it was this one. No mist though, but the colours seemed decidedly cooler around it.

Dying Embrace

I was quite taken with this scene. I'm not sure what's happened here, but I assume the fallen trunk has sheared off the tree that's still supporting it.

Angry Tree 1

Angry Tree 2

Rootin Tootin

This was as far as I followed the river on this walk and you may recognise this tree from last week's set as this is the point where the two walks cross each other. I'm crouched in a really precarious spot at the edge of the riverbank while trying to get a clear view through the foliage on this side. I think it's another case where I need to get in the river, but it's about two feet deep at this point, so that aint happening unless I invest in a pair of waders at some point or we have a drought (which doesn't look likely any time soon).

The Gathering

My return route yielded very few images, but I quite like this one where it appears the trees are all gathered around a central character, leaning in intently to listen as it regales them with some tall tale while gesticulating in an animated manner. Either that or it's just some trees and time for my medication.

These are my picks from this set.
The slug trails are rather eyecatching. I can't help but wonder what happens to all this agro-plastic. Makes my small bag of recycling plastic seem very insignificant.

Agree with that analysis.

I always love your anthropomorphic tree studies. I must get out into the woods more.

'Environmental Portraits'

I'm no wildlife photographer - I don't have the right gear or the skills and patience required. But faced with towering cliffs plastered with seabirds I couldn't resist trying to capture something of the scene.

Puffins seem to be perpetually worried...

...with reason in this case, trying to raise a family next to the neighbours from hell, in this case a family of fumars.

Incoming razorbill! I noticed later that two of the guillemots to the left are the 'bridled' form, with fetching white eye-liner.

Shags.

This razorbill was nesting in a crack in the top of the cliff, allowing for a brief peek into it's strange life.

Great capture, from this angle it almost looks like spiral.

I love your detailed descriptions, feels like being along. And those forest shots are magical, i like them. These 2 are my favorites.

So lucky to have the opportunity to spend some time with these guys and that dramatic location.

I really thought it was going to be different this time !