Tag: swans

May 5th – On a morning commute from hell, against a headwind that wanted me dead, I winched myself through Walsall and onto the canal, as I was scared the wind would blow me into the path of traffic. The only consolation was that coming home had to be better than this. Fortunately, it was.

Welcome serenity came in the form of the swans, still sitting the nest at the disused canal basin in Pleck. With no Catshill pairing this year, I have high hopes for this pair and have been keeping a weather eye on them for a few weeks now.

The male is a bit of a lad, and last week was begging chips off a canalside diner. Today he still patrolled patiently on the canal nearby. He had to content himself with the few grains of corn in my pocket…

April 23rd – A waiting game. Still she patiently sits on her nest, secluded in the safety of the disused canal basin in Pleck, Walsall. Her mate patrols the canal on the mainline nearby, and today she had mallards for company.

It’ll be interesting to see if she has eggs, or if this is a dry run. Quite safe in there, the nest is surrounded by fences all round, inaccessible to the public.

I love watching the swans.

April 18th – Not far today, I was busy and weary with a rough throat. I busied myself with spannering the bikes, which are still suffering from the winter. A little wheel truing; further brake tweaks and creak-hunting. Soon be top-notch again.

It was windy but warm as I headed into Brownhills for shopping, and as I passed the canal at Silver Street, I noticed that some embankment work was finally going on, and it’s be interesting to see if they do some of the really bad bits towards Catshill Junction and Clayhanger Bridge.

The gorse was flowering strongly, and the trees along the canal edge are just in blossom. The canoe centre was a hive of activity, which the swans nesting nearby kept a watchful eye on; although there was no need – the canoeists were giving the nest and patrolling dad plenty of space…

April 11th – The swans at the Watermead, near the canoe centre in Brownhills, have been doing well. Subject to a little bit of unwelcome attention last week, by Saturday they seemed relaxed and content. Dad was patrolling, leg up resting, and mum was preening. They are hardy birds and will go after anything that threatens them, and this pair are historically very territorial, as the nearby canoeists have discovered. I think they’ll be OK.

Sadly, the Catshill swans, despite showing interest earlier in the year, appear to be nesting elsewhere this year. Wherever they are, I hope they do as well this year as last.

March 21st – Despite the cold, spring is well underway now, and nothing will stop it. The early crops are emerald green, the blackthorn is in blossom, the swans are doing the nesting thing, and the local amphibians have been spawning in the small pool at Shire Oak Park.

Soon, the clocks will be forward and the darkness will be behind me for another year. Winter wasn’t too bad this year… And now, the promise of a new season.

This’ll do.

March 17th – Maybe it’s some chemical in the water, or the heavy urban atmosphere, but a strain of really huge swans have started breeding in Walsall Arboretum pool. 

It’s been a long time since we had boating on Hatherton Lake; tragedies and expense seemed to finish it for good – but a private operator has tendered to operate these cute pedaloes – and why not?

Users will have life jackets, and a whale of a time I’m sure. A great idea. Just watch out for Brer Alligator, and of course, the famous Plastic Hippo who dwells grumpily in the deep.

I could actually be persuaded off my bike if someone could fit one of these things with an engine. I could cruise about town, in a flying hat and goggles. 

Stately, indeed.

Perhaps they should try it with the Mayor first – I can really see it suiting Smithy’s style – and we could flog the new jag. Win-win.

March 15th – The sunset the previous evening that promised so much failed to deliver anything but grey murk the next day. It was overcast, grey, cold and windy, and while I was out and about mid afternoon, it rained. I hate days like this, particularly so close to spring. You feel almost cheated.

I span round Chasewater, and noted the waterfowl now seem to have claimed the castle as their own, but was troubled that I could only spot one of the three white geese. Hope the other two are OK, but they must be quite old now.

On the other hand, last years cygnets are all doing well on the big pool, and accumulated, must number more than 30. With few natural predators and national treasure status, one wonders how long their population can go on expanding…

The water level seems to be increasing gradually, too; maybe 11 inches to go now. I somehow doubt we’ll see Chasewater overflow this spring, but it’s at a good healthy level right now.

March 8th – The year marches on, and so do the seasons. Slipping out into steady rain at lunchtime, I noted the Catshill swan couple seem to be returning to the old nest. One (probably the male) was loafing near the reeds, and the other was carefully weaving and packing torn fronds of rushes into a nest.

This seems way too early to me – but hen, they know what they’re doing, I guess. Wonder if they’ll top last year’s total of 8 cygnets?

January 24th – A lost day to technical battles with the computer and other silliness. I got out late and shot over to Chasewater in the dark hoping for a decent moonlit night – but it wasn’t to be. All I got was light pollution, but it made for an interesting shot, anyway.

The lake is refilling well now, and I was intrigued to note all the separate swan families and their cygnets now dwelling on the lake had congregated together by the dam bridge. Not sure why.

Safety in numbers, perhaps? But from what?

December 27th – The birdlife at Chasewater carries on with little regard to the weather. The robins, blackbirds and tits flitted around, hunting for food, and on the lake, the waterfowl – from coots and grebes to swans – loafed and preened as usual.

I must read more about swans and their social behaviour. I note adults and cygnets from last summer still hang around together, though in much looser, informal-seeming groups. A few days ago I saw all seven of the Catshill brood on the lake by the north end of the dam together with mum and dad; but often, I just see one adult and on cygnet, or groups of solo cygnets.

It’s almost like they’re still family, but go their own ways and meet up later. They really are most fascinating birds, and I really should learn more about their habits.