The spring-fed lake is a picture of tranquillity this morning. On the far side, ivy-clad trees touch trunks with their watery counterparts, creating an image of a child’s mirror painting folded along the shoreline. Only the soft blurring of branches distinguishes reflection from reality.
The scene might look serene, but I must focus on my breathing to stay calm as I lower myself slowly into the water, which has chilled to a wintry 6C. I started cold water swimming last month, hoping it would help relieve the chronic pain caused by adenomyosis. It’s only my fourth session, and I’m wondering if I have the confidence to swim across the lifeguarded lake when a quick movement on the water catches my attention. I spot a dumpy ball of fluff that isn’t there.
Small, brown, diving. That can only mean one thing – a dabchick. Sure enough, when a bird bobs up a few feet away, my hunch is confirmed by the dark crown and back, and paler buff cheeks, of a little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) in winter plumage. Its generic name means “fast-sinker” as the UK’s smallest grebe is a dab hand at diving. Unlike me, it can plunge into the lake without any fear of cold-water shock due to its dense, waterproof plumage.
The dabchick dives again and I realise I’ve followed it halfway across the lake, my caution and numb extremities forgotten in the delight of sharing the water with one of my favourite birds. It resurfaces beneath a curtain of willow branches and I leave it to feed, returning to the far shore at a slow breaststroke.
While drying off by the fire, I notice a second dabchick feeding on the far side of the lake and learn that a pair raised a brood here last spring. It’s too early to tell whether my new hobby will ease my pain for more than that first frozen hour or two, but if it doesn’t, I can still enjoy the quiet beauty of this peaceful spot. And if the grebes raise more chicks this year, my swimming sessions will be filled with endorphin-releasing smiles.
• Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian’s Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at guardianbookshop.com and get a 15% discount
