May 9th – A terrible, hurried phone photo, but I noticed that the Canada geese had hatched a new brood in the last 24 hours near Catshill Junction. In the dawn light they were resting, and dad was stood guard nearby, whilst mum had the rest of her clutch under her right wing.
Canada geese get such a hard time from wildlife purists but they’re fascinating creatures. With a very tough day ahead, the sight of this new family really brightened my day.
June 5th – Over to Middleton Hall for cake, and a weary return through Tamworth up the canal. Although it was a gloriously hot day, I just wasn’t feeling it and my energy was low, but the scenery really perked me up.
Everything is so green at the moment – from the barley in the fields to the gorgeous limpid canals – and that view of Middleton over the fields never gets old.
A lovely ride, even if I was knackered!
June 1st – It may have been the first day of the meteorological summer, but it was cold, wet and blustery. Again.
Cheering me up in the gloom, though: Clayhanger’s latest family: seven Canada goose goslings, clearly very recently hatched. When I spotted them, they were scrambling to hop out of the overflow they’d been paddling in.
Mum and dad were very attentive and impressive parents, it has to be said.
May 29th – A quick run through Walsall Wood on the cut on a wet morning rewarded me with all kinds of life in the dripping wet green. The swan family from the Watermead were near Clayhanger Bridge and had obviously gone past their nap-time. Shame about the litter, sadly left where people were fishing the day before.
If people bring stuff with them, is it really so hard to take it back home?
The Canada Geese goslings are also growing well, and were closer to The Black Cock bridge – but in-between, a stripy fellow was being nonchalant and pretending he’d not seen me.
Life teams this time of year, rain or shine.
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 18th – Ah, so commence the annual cygnet search. On the way to work in heavy rain and also on the way back, I looked over to the nest of the Pleck swans, and noted they weren’t on the nest. I couldn’t spot them between there and Darlaston either, so they’re probably roaming for food now. I’m concerned about them since the heron incident, but I’m sure they will be OK somewhere. Just a question of when I’ll spot them.
In the mean time, I had to content myself with the goslings that seem so numerous this year.
I love spring.
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.
June 2nd – Spotted this interesting family on the canal near the Canoe and Outdoor Centre in Brownhills. I’m interested in what’s going on here. One pair of canada geese, Eight goslings, perfectly normal. Except five of the brood are clearly a week or two older than the other 3. Do geese have reciprocal childcare arrangements? Fostering, perhaps?
Any ideas?
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