Tag: cygnets

#365daysofbiking Chilled out

May 18th – On a quiet afternoon following the busy and better than expected Brownhills canal festival (pictures on my main blog here) I slipped out for a circuit of Brownhills after some mechanical fine tuning.

It was grey, but warm and pleasant with little wind. My favourite tree at Home Farm, Sandhills visible as a landmark across the fields from Catshill is in blossom. Such a joy to see. Bet there will be a good crop of conkers this year.

Further up, the mystery family of swans that appear to have nested beyond public sight near Freeth Bridge, Newtown were resting in a canalside garden – family of 8 clearly doing well. Lovely.

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#365daysofbiking Follow you, follow me

May 13th – On the way home from work, near Catshill Junction, one of Brownhills’ most closely watched families – the Watermead swans – head towards Catshill, purpose unknown.

Mum and dad and 3 cygnets, like any family. Proud mother, protective father and chattering, pottering children, learning all the time.

Timeless and beautiful to see.

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#365daysofbiking Multiplication

May 7th – On a grey, cold and very un-springlike morning, real delights on the way to work: Cygnets from what I believe must be the Watermead swans near Clayhanger Bridge and similarly young goslings near Bentley Mill Way aqueduct in Walsall.

Such a delight to see new life and proud, protective parents.

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#365daysofbiking Passengers

May 4th – Another marker of the advancing spring is they waterfowl chicks on local canals. On a gorgeous evening near Middleton Bridge, Brownhills, my first cygnets of the year.

This clutch of what appeared to be at least six – several of whom were riding on momma’s back – are a bit of a mystery: The pair at Barrow Close Walsall Wood are still sitting and at the Watermead, she’s apparently hatched three this year.

So where this lady has been nesting I have no idea. But lovely to see.

Sorry for poor image and video quality: The light was fading.

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#365daysofbiking Maturing:

October 2nd – Spotted on the canal in the during the morning commute, both the Walsall Wood swan family and the Walsall group. All in rude health and maturing to adulthood.

Woody the single cygnet at Walsall Wood this year is clearly thriving and he was happily browsing the weed with his parents never far way, his white plumage really coming on now.

More advanced, and loafing at the back of the factories on Pleck Road, the large Walsall family were having a communal chill out and preen session.

It never ceases to amaze me the positions swans are comfortable to get their legs into…

#365daysofbiking Going it alone:

September 27th – On the canal near Walsall town centre, I was accosted, as one often is, but loud, bullying, aggressive beggars, of the kind that inhabit most urban canals.

In this case, it was a pair of cygnets. On their own without mum and dad, they were enjoying the sun and harassing any passing human for food. When I declined for the seemingly perfectly valid reason that I had none to offer, they swam off, complaining noisily.

Nice to see them in rude health and taking after their parents.

#365daysofbiking Swanning around

August 28th – Oh hello guys, not seen you for a while.

Just at Bentley Mill Way aqueduct, the swan family seem to come from Moxley were determinedly heading towards Walsall – mum dad and five cygnets, now nearing adulthood. They were in a perfect line and a wonderful thing to see,

It’s nice to see another generation maturing.

August 5th – Rding over to Screwfix in Walsall Wood, I passed the swan family who were loafing on the canal near the rear of Lindon Drive but clearly vaguely heading somewhere.

I suppose soon they’ll move into the main flock on Chasewater until next season when they return to breed again.

I haven’t seen much of the family this year, out paths haven’t crossed much, but it’s so nice to see them.

We never had this locally when I was a kid. It still amazes me.

July 10th – This one has puzzled me. An unknown family of swans has appeared in Pleck, Walsall on the canal near the Rollingmill Industrial Estate.

Mum, Dad and six cygnets (a smaller, slightly runty looking one was hiding behind the weed on the right) were sunning themselves and preening at the back of a factory, while a man worked noisily through the door in the workshop behind.

I don’t know this year of any local family with six surviving chicks, and the adults don’t seem to be ringed.

They look in rude health though, and weren’t at all skittish.

Wonder if they’re now resident or just passing through? Where are they from, any ideas people?

May 24th – It’s not often you see a proud swan momma doing the Hokey Cokey to entertain her cygnets, but it’s a longstanding tradition, in my head.

This wonderful sight of the mother watching over young, sleepy hatchlings was at Stubbers Green, mid-morning, and an absolute joy to the heart.

This pic was taken from the road, and the nest’s proximity to the traffic is my only worry.