Tag: cygnet

June 15th – It was only a short run around Brownhills and up to Chasewater, as I wasn’t feeling to clever and it was a dreadfully overcast, grey afternoon.

My mood was lifted though by all the young animals I saw around and about – two families of goslings at different stages of development at the Watermead; a foal grazing on a lush meadow yellow with buttercups at Brownhills Common; the Catshill swan family, still numbering seven, growing all the time.

Inbetween, too quick to capture, I saw terns, a couple of herons, rabbits, squirrels and buzzards.

I particularly liked what I assume to be the foal’s mum, who was wading through the pool in their meadow munching on the lush green shoots growing from it.

I might not have felt any better physically, but the sights I saw cheered me up no end.

May 26th – Caldmore Village Festival, then back to Walsall and on to the canal. Up through Darlaston, down to Toll End, then along the Tame Valley Canal to Rushall Junction, then back home via Aldridge. A lovely run. The birdlife was great. Plenty of cygnets, goslings and herons. Common Terns are stalking the water everywhere, but too fast for this slow photographer to catch. The canal was gorgeous. A fine day.

July 4th – The day started bright enough, but finished a dull, headache-grey overcast. Returning home from work I hopped onto the canal at Walsall Wood and headed towards Brownhills. I noted that one of the two pairs of breeding swans on the canal were active and had six surviving cygnets. In recent years this has been a large clutch, but 6 or 7 years ago it seemed usual to see broods of 8 or more. I wonder if this reduction in cygnets is just normal or if something darker is at work? The other pair only managed two.