I have seen the Swan family, good..still five youngsters. This weekly count might sound boring but last year the parents only managed to bring off two out of a brood of six and the previous three years they lost all their brood. In fact one year, they lost them to the cold just after hatching and it was quite interesting to watch the pair go through a bonding process and mate again the day after losing their young. They did not nest again that year but these two swans are very close to one another and never physically far apart.
Nature is not always good! Walking the Tow Path listening to the everlasting screech of Parakeets and looking at the invasive Indian Balm I was beginning to feel grumpy! Then..high drama! Do you remember the duckling family I mentioned. Well, we are now down to two ducklings, and this morning there were two very distressed young ducklings and no mother mallard. I stopped to watch these two as they cryed out, trying to work out what could have happened. Bits of the bank of the Tow Path had been beaten down, had she been taken by a wily fox? Worse still...frightened off by a dog? Thinking I couldn't do anything I sadly walked on away from them knowing that they stood no chance on their own, they were far too young. Then I remembered a shabby female mallard on the other bank that I had passed, was that her and I thought if I made them go towards her they might linkup. I turned and almost ran back. There was no sign of them! I kept going and suddenly out of the undergrowth came a startled female mallard with 2 contented looking ducklings! Goodness only knows where she had been! My photograph is not good but I was happy to get it!
The Purple Loosestrife is beginning to look really good, I love this plant and so do the bees and other insects. The Ragwort is full out as is the Tansy making a lovely yellow glow all over the place. The Cinnabar Moth caterpillars are still on the Ragwort, and there are plenty of Gatekeeper butterflies. We had some rain this week which has freshened the landscape a little, but there is a feel of full on summer, with the barley being harvested this week.
Returning home I stopped to look at a flock of birds, mixed green and chaffinches flitting around an Oak tree. I suddenly realised that I was also watching Purple Hairstreak butterflies that were moving around the tope of this tree. I have never seen this butterfly on the Patch before...a first for me! Then out of the corner of my eye the Roe Deer moved out into a clearing. The sun was not quite up enough to get a clear picture but as I haven't seen these creatures for a few days I thought it was worth a try.
I have seen the Swan family, good..still five youngsters. This weekly count might sound boring but last year the parents only managed to bring off two out of a brood of six and the previous three years they lost all their brood. In fact one year, they lost them to the cold just after hatching and it was quite interesting to watch the pair go through a bonding process and mate again the day after losing their young. They did not nest again that year but these two swans are very close to one another and never physically far apart.
Nature is not always good! Walking the Tow Path listening to the everlasting screech of Parakeets and looking at the invasive Indian Balm I was beginning to feel grumpy! Then..high drama! Do you remember the duckling family I mentioned. Well, we are now down to two ducklings, and this morning there were two very distressed young ducklings and no mother mallard. I stopped to watch these two as they cryed out, trying to work out what could have happened. Bits of the bank of the Tow Path had been beaten down, had she been taken by a wily fox? Worse still...frightened off by a dog? Thinking I couldn't do anything I sadly walked on away from them knowing that they stood no chance on their own, they were far too young. Then I remembered a shabby female mallard on the other bank that I had passed, was that her and I thought if I made them go towards her they might linkup. I turned and almost ran back. There was no sign of them! I kept going and suddenly out of the undergrowth came a startled female mallard with 2 contented looking ducklings! Goodness only knows where she had been! My photograph is not good but I was happy to get it!
The Purple Loosestrife is beginning to look really good, I love this plant and so do the bees and other insects. The Ragwort is full out as is the Tansy making a lovely yellow glow all over the place. The Cinnabar Moth caterpillars are still on the Ragwort, and there are plenty of Gatekeeper butterflies. We had some rain this week which has freshened the landscape a little, but there is a feel of full on summer, with the barley being harvested this week.
Returning home I stopped to look at a flock of birds, mixed green and chaffinches flitting around an Oak tree. I suddenly realised that I was also watching Purple Hairstreak butterflies that were moving around the tope of this tree. I have never seen this butterfly on the Patch before...a first for me! Then out of the corner of my eye the Roe Deer moved out into a clearing. The sun was not quite up enough to get a clear picture but as I haven't seen these creatures for a few days I thought it was worth a try.
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