July 14th – Also spotted in suburban Walsall – Bentley Bridge to be precise – momma mallard standing guard over her two duckings on a simple reed nest. It was a warm, sunny afternoon, and I can’t think of a better spot for a little siesta.
She looks so proud.
May 24 – I ‘m convinced that whatever gave rise to moorhens and coots existing had the plans backwards. Baby coots – featured here last week – look, as Phil Griffin put it ‘Like badly knitted moorhens’ – and he’s right. On the other hand, apart from the remarkable feet, these moorhen chicks could easily thought to be coots.
The antics of both are hugely comical, however. So nice to see.
May 22nd – Also growing well, and still at the original 9, the Watermead swan family were out on a constitutional.
Those little balls of grey fluff are growing well, and mum and dad are very good parents, keeping them close and rounding up any explorers who stray.
May 18th – On the way home, I checked out the Watermead swan family, still with 9 healthy cygnets, enjoying the sun near the canal overflow opposite Silver Street.
They all seem in good health, and the parents are very attentive. I think they’re too large now to be of interest to the local herons, but I hope mum and dad are vigilant for brer fox.
We usually lose one or two – let’s hope we don’t this year. Such a fine family.
May 13th – Returning to Brownhills, I noted the new families are arriving thick and fast. At Catshill junction, a pair of proud Canada geese with a huge brood of 13 goslings, all seeming in good health. At Silver Street, the Watermead swans have 9 cygnets – all busy little balls of grey fluff.
I love to see the waterfowl breeding, and the antics of the chicks.
July 13th – I haven’t seen these guys for a while , and my goodness, they’ve grown! These are the Watermead swan family from Brownhills, and they came over to see if I had any food as I passed Clayhanger Bridge.
I was glad to see they still number five, and interesting to see the very beginnings of adult plumage forming on the growing cygnets.
Here’s to another successful year!
July 4th – Fully loaded with shopping, I pottered back, becoming slower and slower as my energy dropped. I was pleased to note, however, lots of new duckling families on the canal at Brownhills. There are mallard chicks from newly hatched to a week or so old, clearly all second clutches.
This summer seems to be favouring the wildlife, which is nice to see.
May 28th – At Clayhanger, the Mallard family that numbered four on Sunday is down to three; probably picked off by a heron or raptor (or perhaps even a fox), it’s sad to see but natural, I guess. Mum may go on to have another clutch this year, and this is the way of things I guess. But I do hope the missing one didn’t suffer too much.
Meanwhile, just near Clayhanger Bridge, a single Canada goose mum and one gosling. I think there must be a story there too; she looked like she was protecting her fluffy charge with grim determination.
Nature can be so brutal sometimes.
May 15th – Into Birmingham on an afternoon off, and I headed from home down through Sutton Park and the Plants Brook Valley. Hitting the canal at Tyburn, I was struck by the huge number of Canada Gees families with newly hatched young. So cute, it’s hard to imagine these gold and grey balls of fluff turn into the hectoring, hissing adults they do.
They are such excellent birds.
May 9th – A big welcome, if you please, to the newest residents of Brownhills, seven swan chicks newly hatched in the last 24 hours or so to the swan couple who have been nesting at the Watermead, just near the Canoe Centre in Brownhills.
The 7 fluffy hatchlings were active, and seemed fit, although I think there may have originally been eight, as I think in some photos there appears to be a lifeless one in the nest. But seven survivors is a good number, and if they can get through the next week or so without being lunch for predators, they’ll be just fine.
Mum and dad were showing their brood off beautifully, and the Canoe people are avoiding them – out of respect for wildlife and also out of pecking distance of the Cob!
We can expect to lose a few of these fluffy chaps – we lost one of the eight at Catshill last year – as at this stage, they’re vulnerable to mustelids, foxes, rats and even herons – which is just natural.
So if you can, get down and have a look at these delightful birds. Please don’t feed them bread, however, as it’s bad for them. There’s plenty of natural food and they’re foraging well.
BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking 