This morning I had a drive over to Roker Park where I was welcomed by the lovely robins that occupied the space here. It was so exciting to see so many robins in one place as this is a rare occurrence as I have only ever seen one robin at any one time. I followed these robins around for about half an hour watching them fly from branch to branch, trying not to disturb them and scare them away. Luckily, I brought my 70-300mm lens so I could zoom in far without getting too close to the birds, maybe I should bring seeds with me the next time I visit a park to encourage the birds to come closer.
Deeper into the park lay the pond filled with swans, ducks, and many seagulls. It was hilarious watching the seagulls trying to land on the pond as it had frozen over. They skidded far across the pond as they tried to gain their balance and come to a complete stop. There was a small patch in the pond where the ice had melted; this was where the swans were relaxing. It was amazing to just watch their movements in the water as they did not back away when I walked closer to them. I went slowly and steadily as to not frighten them so I could photograph them from a few angles. I was after shot with the swans in the foreground, but also showing the rest of the pond in the background. However, the small brick wall that surrounded the pond kept blocking the swans as they were very close to the wall, and if I got the swan in the frame, I lost the background.
From here I decided it was best to explore the rest of the park as it looked as though the sun was starting to go down, even though it was only 10 am. As the sun was low, I was able to capture the light shining through the trees, casting a golden light onto the grass and pavement. On my way out of the park, I stopped next to the bandstand, trying to find a composition that worked with the sun in the background. However, I could not find anything that worked as there were either fences, bins, people, trees, or signs blocking the bandstand. At this point, I walked away to photograph the robins again and watch the way they swiftly flew around the trees to conclude my trip to Roker Park.
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