In early January, the Thames at Kingston raced along.

Swollen by floodwater it boiled and swirled at the surface, tinted the colour of cappuccino which is not pollution but silt stirred up from the river bed and carried along in suspension.

Parts of the towpath were under water and closed. Vulnerable at the best of times, the swallow's nests, built on raftors below the wooden pleasure boat pier only a metre or so above the normal water level would have been swamped and washed away.

Hopefully when the bluebirds return in April they will re-build having nested there for many years and it would be sad if they do not continue at such an unusual site.

Cormorants dive and re-surface fishless, swept many metres downstream from their diving points. Some wisely fish in the less turbulent Hogsmill where its dark waters gush into the raging river.

Hardly making headway,swans create impressive bow waves swimming in energy-saving line astern, hugging the banks away from the mainstream while black-headed gulls paddle furiously into the current only to be swept rapidly backwards.

The Thames at Kingston plays host to a healthy number of fish species from 30lb common carp, large bream and chub, perch, pike roach dace and others. All of them adopt strategies to avoid the full force of the current by ranging themselves either along the banks behind or in front of moored boats or seek shelter in the lee of submerged obstacles on the river bed.

A testing time indeed for our river wildlife.