I don't know whether it is normal behaviour, but they seem to be two families looking after their own young, but together - four pairs of eyes being better at spotting danger.
Thursday 14 June 2012
Still Together
A quick walk to the pond was rewarded with this lovely sight..if you click on them, the photos should enlarge. They were taken from a long way off the pond as the parents are very wary.
Haven't they grown!
Both families still have all their babies.
I don't know whether it is normal behaviour, but they seem to be two families looking after their own young, but together - four pairs of eyes being better at spotting danger.
A quick walk on past the watermill - the swan is still alone, but seems content for the moment.
As Toby and I came under the old railway bridge and on to the homeward straight, I stepped into the barley field and took this shot of the Byre - now if only that were our front lawn! Eeek, no, think of how long it would take to mow.
I don't know whether it is normal behaviour, but they seem to be two families looking after their own young, but together - four pairs of eyes being better at spotting danger.
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so sweet!... I noticed the lone swan this year too... last year there was a couple and 3 signets if I remember correctly... so nice to see nature getting up to its old tricks!
ReplyDeleteHello Dom, I always feel sad when I see her/him. I suppose it may be some small consolation that they are surrounded by lots of birds at the mill. I wonder what happened to the others.
DeleteOh, Elaine.....the photos are stunning! Beautiful shot of the Byre..
ReplyDeleteHello Meggie, That shot of the Byre shows what it is like beyond the hedge and trees in the header shot, just fields. The barley is really coming on now, I imagine Farmer T will be pleased with it.
DeleteHello Elaine:
ReplyDeleteThe Swans with their young look so beautifully elegant gliding along. Your photograph has captured the scene wonderfully.
In our Herefordshire garden we used to have ducks on our pond but they made incredibly bad mothers. These Swans seem to be taking a much more careful interest in their offspring.
Hello Jane and Lance, Swans are so effortlessly elegant, a delight to the eye. This particular one spent so long with its head in the water that I almost despaired!
DeleteI really do think that these two families are working together, I would like to think so, anyway! It is little sights like this which make every walk different.
I love seeing the young swans with their parents. We have several families on the canals nearby. Jx
ReplyDeleteHello Jan, A number of years ago, before we moved here, my normal dog walk was along the side of a canal - I was thrilled to find a family of swans in residence one Spring and thoroughly enjoyed watching them. The male swan was very aggressive and protective, the dogs soon learned to keep well clear!
DeleteA tractor would be needed to mow that field, lovely swan and geese.
ReplyDeleteHello Linda, Somehow I think the idea of having to use a tractor would really appeal to my husband...we'll stick to what we have, it takes too long to mow that anyway!
DeleteBeautiful photographs! I'm not sure about ducks but geese do share parenting. They also make excellent foster parents for orphan goslings.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Hello Jane, I always get so excited when I see the families on the pond. I hang back, trying not to scare them...while fumbling with my camera to try to take the photographs. It must look terribly odd - but probably normal for me! Thanks for the info - you are a fount of knowledge and I appreciate it.
DeleteElaine, I agree with Jane and Chris about geese sharing parenting. We had a family on our pond in Connecticut and the mother goose's wing was hurt, by what I expect could have been a snapping turtle. Anyway, I was able to capture her and take her to one of our Vets who treated wildlife (he was about 7 miles away). He took xrays and said it wasn't broken, but he would "bind" it and keep her a few days.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, the father took very good care of 3 goslings that needed to be "preened" everyday (apply oils to their fluff so they don't drown) while she was gone. Later in the day, I received a phone call from the Vet that the mother had gotten out of the pen during the night and they couldn't locate her. Thinking, she couldn't fly with that wing, she would probably succumb to be some preditors meal.
Two weeks passed and one morning I hear very loud honking from the father goose and immediately thought of turkey bussards in the yard, but instead, watched as the mother goose came walking up out driveway to rejoin her brood! (I still have tears retelling this!)
So, they are not only good parents, but just like us, nothing keeps a mother from her babies...she had to have walked over 7 miles to get back to them.
Your photos always bring back such wonderful memories. Love you, XOXO
Oh, Susan! What a wonderful story - and what marvellous parents those geese were. Papa for taking over the care of his offspring and working so devotedly to look after them - and the wonderful Mama who HAD to get back to her babies. It is a beautiful story and I can't thank you enough for sharing that with us.
DeleteSeven miles of walking, vulnerable, alone and injured and she kept right on going - without a map to guide her. That really is something. I will really enjoy telling Harry, and Francesca (when she is older) about this one.
Thank you so much.XXX
The garden picture on your header is just gorgeous! I really enjoy the photos of the geese and swan. I especially enjoyed Susan's story of the mother goose who walked miles to be with her family. (Thank you Susan!) It makes me wish our geese would come back to our area wetland.
ReplyDeleteHello Ms Sparrow, I'm so glad you like it - it is my favourite part of the garden! Susan's story is heartwarming and I shall look at the geese with renewed respect next time I see them.
DeleteThey're not babies long are they! Love your photos.
ReplyDeleteHello Molly, They are growing at a rate of knots, that is for sure!
DeleteMy only experience with swans has been with fairly mean ones. Super territorial. They lived on a fairly bottomless lake on a friend's property. The local rescue/EMT team used the lake for deep water rescue practice. But, they also had to keep a swan patrol out there to fend off swans who would attack the rescue team trying to get back to shore.
ReplyDeleteHello Joanne, Now that sounds scary - the bottomless lake bit. It gave me the shivers like when I learned just how deep some of the Scottish lochs are. I guess they got more than simply deep water rescue practice when they went to that particular lake!
DeleteLove those babies!!! Are those poppies in the beautiful last photo?
ReplyDeleteHello Knatolee, Yes, there is something irresistible about them, isn't there. They are poppies - don't you just love that colour?
DeleteI'm having trouble seeing these photos, as I often do these days! But, rather than comment on this post, I have to tell you I just clicked on your darling anniversary post! Oh, you and your hubby are just so handsome in your wedding photos! You were just a gorgeous bride! How sweet to share these memories with your blogger friends! Happy belated anniversary to you both!
ReplyDeleteHello Marie, I know what you mean about the photos, unfortunately the only shots I get are at the far end of zoom - and that is over in the shady part of the pond! Never mind, I shall keep on in my attempts, and one of these days I may succeed!
DeleteThank you! It was great fun finding those receipts and being transported down memory lane.