Friday 1 May 2009

Ducklings


Out this evening after the rain to see if anything interesting had dropped in. A Snipe displayed overhead as I walked up the bumpy road and a male Mallard flushed from the ditch. Just as I approached the bridge there was the female Mallard with nine new ducklings following close behind. So close in fact it took three or four attempts to get the count right!

This morning did a circumnavigation of the eastern Town Moor whilst waiting for Kwik Fit to rebuild my rear brakes which I had managed to weld together. Two broods of three and five Mallard ducklings on the lake at Exhibition Park but much more tame insisting on coming to the lakeside to beg some food. (that’s my excuse for poor use of depth of field demonstrated above)

Good count around the moor with 36 species the most unexpected being a Garden Warbler singing near the entrance at the University. Loads of Starlings and Jackdaws coming in from the houses to feed and heading off presumably back to broods with beaks full. Not many Swallows yet and it took me over two hours to find a Sparrow in the elegant gardens on the east and North boundaries! Sign of the times or just too much traffic noise?

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