Rivers in flood
| 13:47 UK time, Monday, 18 August 2008
Rain, rain, rain, it's been non-stop. The rivers are in spate and are full to the brim, which is relatively unusual for the height of summer.
Looking at the rivers it's amazing to think that all the life in them doesn't get washed away in the brown soup marching downstream, but the fish and other creatures are able to somehow find eddies and spots to shelter as it passes.
In fact one species which welcomes the high water is the migrating salmon.
The high water is a green light for them to swim up river from the sea and lower reaches as it gives them enough water to pass waterfalls and other obstacles in their way.
On the Wye, which is one of the longest rivers in the UK, they have reached as far as Builth Wells and make this journey in impressive time if the conditions are right.
Although fish aren't exactly the most charismatic of creatures I still think they are pretty amazing considering the epic nature of their return journey to the place of their birth.
Coal rivers
I went down Big Pit this weekend and it reminded me how the wildlife in the coal mining valleys has bounced back since the time of the coal industry.
In the valley where I live (where Pochin Colliery was situated), we have otters, ravens, peregrines, trout, dippers and kingfishers; the list goes on, and this is only really a few decades after the colliery closed.
In fact, I was talking to a local this week about how he used to fish in the river. He would "time it" for the periods when the river wasn't black because of colliery lorries driving through it!
When this happened he would simply reel in, have a cup of tea and wait till it cleared before starting to fish again.
I hope the weather gets better; fingers crossed but it has made for a few rainbows as you can see from this week's picture.
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