Tag: chick

#365daysofbiking An only child

August 16th – There’s a small family hanging around Catshill Junction at the moment. The pair of Canada geese who often mug me on the towpath back toward Clayhanger this year had a second clutch, and just one gosling survives.

It’s doing well, however, and is now a large, healthy and undaunted bird, getting its feathers through and generally being doted on by mum and dad.

They were especially tolerant of me today – I think they know me by now – and there was minimal hissing and head-bobbing. Junior was undisturbed and seemed happy enough to pose for me.

A lovely little family – I hope this chicks parents can keep it safe.

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#365daysofbiking Dem feet tho


July 5th – Riding through Aldridge on the canal down through Longwood and Park Hall, the water life was busy and the canal limpid and green.

What interested me most were the water birds: I was once again reminded how very odd swan feet are – by a cygnet in this case – it’s foot tucked up on it’s back in rest position. They odd leathery texture – and those claws!

There was a gorgeously aloof, elderly heron too – who was active and looked in good health, except when he walked off I noticed a curious growth on his foot.

It wasn’t affecting his walk at all and he didn’t seem to bother him at all. I found myself wondering if it was some kind of ganglion like humans get.

Strange.

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July 20th – I met the. Walsall Wood swans near Clayhanger bridge. Woody, their single cygnet this year, is growing and developing very well indeed, and the family are confident, wary of humans, but relaxed.

Woody posed happily for the camera, which was lovely.

But I still can’t get used to how alien swan feet are…

May 15th – I’m a scientific and cultural atheist, as most readers know and I’m a really strong believer in evolution. It’s just the way I am. But even my stoic scientific approach falters sometimes.

Like in the case of coot chicks.

What evolutionary advantage does looking like they really had a moorhen as a father create? And just what made them so ugly that probably even their mums find them a bit grim?

They have cute in shedloads but bless my soul they’re not lookers.

June 16th – This poor, out of focus photo shows something I was very surprised and quite lucky to find – a lapwing chick.

There were two of these long-leeged wee birds in the middle of Bullmoor Lane, and my approach scattered them into the margins of the road. The shrieking above alerted me to the presence of the parents, and after a quick phot, I left well alone.

These curious, ground-nesting birds will be fine and it’s hard to believe these lanky, spotty wee balls of fluff grow into the elegant, wheeling aerial acrobats that their parents are.

A treat on a warm summer afternoon.

May 16th – I noted the cuddle puddle of goslings as I came back into Brownhills at Catshill Junction – the large brood of Canada goose chicks were all huddled together on the canal bank under the watchful eye of mum and dad having a communal nap break.

Couldn’t resist taking some pictures of this lovely group.

The parents weren’t aggressive today, either – which shows they must be getting used to me. Or are lulling me into a sense of false security.

May 12th – Slowly recovering from my tribulations, I headed off to Birmingham along the canals and through Sandwell Valley Park for some light relief. It was a dreadfully dark, rain-spattered day but the birdlife I saw was incredible. From the bluetits near Park Hall to the young waterfowl all along the canals of the area, multiplication really is the name of the game.

Glad to see the six cygnets all present and correct at Catshill Junction, and who knew gulls could yawn?

June 27th – Near Catshill Junction, I watched momma coot feeding her chicks – presumably the second set of the year. She was diving, then returning to the surface and feeding the little ones from her beak. It was fascinating.

The chicks still look as Phil Griffin so memorably put it, like ‘badly knitted moorhens’, but they are very cute all the same.

It’s also interesting to be reminded of how strange adult coot feet really are. Curious birds, coots.

June 11th – I also passed the swan family with the single cygnet, who’d nested near to Bentley Bridge. They were resting and preening together on last year’s nest in the disused inlet at Pleck.

They young ‘un seems to be growing and looked pretty relaxed, so providing mum and day can keep it safe I think he should be OK now.

I’m really rooting for this particular family.