Autumn water colour.

Local ponds canals and lakes are nearly always really productive areas for water birds and they can be a very reliable fill in if the weather is unexpectedly good. I like to have a number of sites that I know will generate images at the drop of a hat. I think of these as my fall back places. If the light is unusually good or seasonal colours mean that something different may be on the cards they are often my first port of call. The trick that I have to keep reminding myself is to try to generate something new each time and not simply repeat myself every time I visit.

The reflections from autumn trees can elevate fairly dull water colour into something special. I usually find I have to bob about a fair bit as the colours tend to be concentrated in small areas and the birds don’t always feed there, however when they do they often really spring to life.