Thames Tide

Lunch break - the tide turns and the exposed mud and shale banks are rapidly disappearing - blink and you'll miss them - stranded artefacts there: the pipes and shells of another life and time stuck in the algae and muddy bottom.

And then an arrogant cormorant takes to the water with little effort, allowing the tide to lap its legs, belly, plumage for a moment before taking to the water and gently drawn upstream.

A gathering of Mute Swans hide their heads in the muddy shallows filtering out favourites, ambling in the heat. Then suddenly they attempt to take flight all together - eight or so swans running on the river's surface and flapping their wings trying to gain speed and lift and surprisingly sounding like horses cantering on hard earth - it's an amazing moment.

But what attracts me most of all is the frenetic pair of Grey Wagtails that twitch on the mud and at the edges of the tidal pools, constantly fluting and twittering to each other, always registering where the other is, never stopping, like some melodic sonar. Occassionally they unite on a lamp post or a barrier on the nearby riverside office development; only to part a moment later and return to their pitchy communication. It's a beautiful sound, and carries way above any nearby industrial and motor hum.

Battersea 5/6/2007