The cygnets practise flying

Mute swans bonding

As the cygnets become more and more independent our mute swans reaffirm their commitment to each other with a half hearted courtship ritual. The pen was swimming downstream this morning with her two cygnets ahead of her when her mate, the cob, approaching from the other direction, spotted them and flew in to join her.

The cob takes off to join his mate upstream

The power in his wings as he lifts from the water before full take off is quite impressive. No wonder people are sometimes afraid of swans when they get too close.

The cygnets have learned how to fly and are practising circuits round the island

These two hybrid ducks fly in for breakfast, bully the mallards, then return to Hurst Park

There are a large number of hybrid ducks in this area, most of which are larger than mallards and they take advantage of their size to get to the wheat before the others are allowed to feed. This morning was colder than usual and the number of ducks clamouring to be fed nearly doubled. There is definitely a pecking order and the fights that sometimes break out are vicious and vociferous. Sometimes I wonder how they don't damage themselves with the amount of wing bashing involved.

A male tufted duck enjoys the early morning sunlight

When we first came back from overseas, the tufted ducks were very nervous of us but now they swim towards me when I open the french windows or patio doors. They're clever enough to have worked out that when the swans are feeding there's plenty of spillage from the plank to dive for.

A fisherman shows his sons how to gently reel in and then release a catch

I was impressed by the gentle and careful way this angler reeled in his catch and then released it. There are so many people with fishing rods these days, many of whom haven't a clue how to behave responsibly, and they do untold damage to the wildlife with their carelessness and their ignorance. So often we have to rescue everything from herons and swans to moorhens and tufted ducks from the damage caused by discarded lines and hooks. If the birds become ensnared, the lines get tighter and tighter around their legs, necks or bodies. I've seen a heron drown because it had a hook in its beak and the line was caught round driftwood which dragged the herons head down to water level. As it got weaker it finally couldn't hold its head above water. I tried desperately to reach it but couldn't. I've also seen so many smaller birds lose limbs because the lines have cut off circulation. Tufted ducks and grebes dive for food and if they get caught on a hook underwater they can't resurface. If only all 'would-be' fishermen were taught how to fish responsibly!

A cold and misty morning last week

One of a dozen or so female mallards whose territory this is

A drake preens and oils his feathers after feeding

Ducks must oil their feathers to keep them waterproof so preening is a serious ritual. You can see the (white) third eye closing over as he smooths and oils his neck and chest feathers.

Images from the garden, riverside and park

Grey wagtail by pond

I was standing at the kitchen window when I spotted this shy wagtail searching for insects and taking delicate sips from the cascade. I knew it would fly off if I opened the door or window so I decided to photograph it through the glass in spite of some loss of image quality.

Grey heron in the park

After the miserable weather of the previous week we had several days of glorious sunshine and I decided to take advantage of the lovely light and head for the park. It was surprisingly empty for such a sunny afternoon and there were no dogs off their leads to chase the wildlife away. I spotted the heron stalking purposefully through the grass. It wasn't the least bit phased by my proximity.

One of a number of lakes in the woodland gardens

I've been told that a kingfisher can sometimes be seen here but as yet I've not had the pleasure of spotting one at this location. Occasionally I hear the metallic call of a the halcyon bird and see a flash of electric blue disappearing downstream elsewhere in the park. Perhaps, with persistence, I'll be fortunate enough to spot one for longer than a second! At least I sometimes see them at home. Earlier this spring one landed on a mooring post outside the kitchen window and sat there for about a minute. I couldn't get over how tiny it was and yet how stunningly beautiful.

A familiar face checks me out

I mustn't get blasé about seeing the foxes on a regular basis but it's great to know that there's a good chance of spotting them. I'm also pleased to see that they're still cautious around people but they are becoming quite an attraction so they will soon become habituated to humans and maybe that's not such a good thing.

A red deer stag declares his "love" to no one in particular

As the rutting season gets under way it's fascinating to watch the stags fight each other for dominance, making forays to steal the occasional doe from another male's harem. This one was calling and grunting as he trotted by but there were no females in sight. I noticed that he occasionally paused when he heard a rival stag "roaring" in the distance.

Garrick's temple to Shakespeare

We haven't been out in the boat much recently because of the wet or dull weather so we couldn't let this opportunity pass us by. It was a lovely sunny late afternoon and we took our usual route upstream and around some of the other islands in the vicinity. The temple is just upstream from us and was built by the actor David Garrick in tribute to Shakespeare. It was restored a few years ago and is now open to the public on certain days.

Autumn colours reflected in a pool

How quickly the leaves are turning flame coloured. It seems like only last week that everything was still green, but I do love to see the lovely colours of the leaves on the different trees.

Further afield than the Thames

Ring necked parakeet in full glory

The weather has been so dull and I've been so busy that I've only managed to take a couple of images this week. However, as we're heading for warmer climes and more exotic wildlife I sorted through some images from a previous trip to the Everglades.

Otter snacking on a crab

Manatees at a dock in Key Largo enjoying fresh water from a hosepipe

Anhinga resting on the back of a what looks like a rock but is, in fact, a turtle

The park over the road in Autumn

Heron yawning

I've didn't realize until I looked at this picture closely that the heron was showing its tongue. I watched it stalking fish in the shallows for a while. Its ability to stand immobile is impressive.

Symbiosis

It was amazing to watch this jackdaw ridding the deer of unwanted parasites. It worked its way along the haunches and up the spine before finally inspecting the deer's ear for bugs. A starling was doing much the same on another deer close by.

A view from Bushy Park

Bushy Park is a fabulous Royal Park which was part of Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace estate. Deer roam the large open areas and there are two lovely woodland gardens which have attractive water features and plenty of wildlife. The shrieking of dozens of wild parakeets ring through the trees, especially at roosting time giving the park an exotic feel.

A fallow deer cross the Longford River

The deer sometimes canter through the streams but I've also seen them congregate in the wide and shallow areas 'messing about' in the water, just like kids.

Sly fox

Lunchtime in the park and the pair of young foxes are brave enough to be seen in daylight. This one is particularly brave, and I thought foxes were nocturnal!

Autumn is in the air

Rowers near Molesey Lock in the early morning light

There's a definite feel of autumn these mornings, with mists on the river and that lovely golden haze as the sun filters through. The leaves on the horse chestnut trees are turning contributing their colour to the gentle morning light.

A young fox in Bushy Park

I've spent weeks trying to photograph the foxes in the park but they've always been camera shy. This youngster was cautious but curious and I was able to take a few pictures of it before it slunk away into the undergrowth.

The brother or sister of the youngster above

I was so excited about seeing the fox and when I spoke to a couple, who were also transfixed by the sleek and healthy looking youngster, they told me there were two to look out for. As the weather was brilliant the next day I headed back to the park and was fortunate enough to enjoy the company of the two young foxes for around 20 minutes. At first they were cautious but after a while they settled and ran around looking for food. It was quite magical to watch them chasing each other, sitting and scratching, slinking into the bushes when other people approached and then reappearing when the coast was clear.

A deer in Bushy Park

On the way back from watching the foxes I saw this deer trot through the main park. It is approaching the rutting season and I must get back to photograph the antics of the stags as they try to hold together their harems.

The new black swan flexes its muscles

The new arrival shows aggression towards the mute swans

We don't know whether this is a male or female black swan but it isn't popular with our dominant pair of mute swans, nor with Bidou, our resident female black swan. The mute swans used to see off Bidou in the Spring but over the months they seem to have almost accepted her. They all turn up to feed together but Bidou isn't allowed to feed from the same area as the family.

Seeing off the opposition

There have been several battles this week between the newcomer and the mute swans. It seems so aggressive that we think it might be a male. It also has a thicker neck than Bidou and holds it more erect.

The newcomer chases the cob

Another day another battle! This time the mute swan came off the worse for wear. The battle was fierce and ended up under our boat and we had to break it up. The vanquished slunk away to our feeding station looking quite shaken.

The victor with one of the mute swan's feathers in its beak

After the battle, the black swan stood on our floating raft and seemed rather pleased with itself. It still had a white feather in its beak but shortly after, started preening and the feather disappeared.

Bidou takes exception to the newcomer

It's official. Bidou doesn't like the new black swan and has spent most of this week chasing it away. On Thursday she went after it twice in succession and then rejoined the mute swan family, as close as she's allowed that is. She kept calling, using a single note, while the newcomer trumpeted away at her sounding forlorn!

One of the cygnets enjoys an early evening preen after supper

Most evenings, the swans come for supper and then linger close by to have a final wash and brush up before bed. It's hard to believe how much the pair have grown since the Spring but they're not independent yet.

A male tufted duck looking bright eyed

He's probably one of this year's offspring as his white areas are still a little grey and his tuft is quite short. I love the rounded shape of the tufted ducks and the way they lie on their sides to clean their tummies.

A partner for Bidou, or not?

This camera-shy dabchick (little grebe) took ages to photograph as it dived every time I tried to focus on it. I ended up with plenty of blurred images or glimpses of tails and feet disappearing from view. Several photographer friends told me that they, too, find dabchicks a challenge. We decided that their fluffy little bodies confuse the automatic focus and it's better to focus on the head and eye to get the sharpest results.

This heron, photographed at the Barnes Wetland Centre, was looking mean and hungry. It wasn't too long before it struck lucky and speared a fish. They are magnificent birds to watch as they move stealthily along river banks and reedbeds, poised and ready to strike when they spot their preferred prey.

A result of my spoiling the garden birds with sunflower hearts is a garden full of sunflowers in the most unlikely places. We've had one grow and flower from a tiny gap in our decking and there are at least a dozen other sunflowers scattered around the garden. They're so lovely I haven't the heart to remove them even when they are in the wrong place.


Many of the islanders got excited on Monday when we saw Bidou and another black swan swimming upstream. We couldn't work out whether Bidou was chasing after the other swan to catch up with it or to chase it off. Sadly, the latter was true. We had all hoped that she had finally found at least a friend, or better still, a mate.


She calls by for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and takes time to preen her feathers every morning, except when the mute swan family see her off. She is an elegant looking swan but still seems nervous of us when feeding. She flinches when I throw her the wheat and snatches at the food nervously. Perhaps she had a bad experience when she was younger?


As the breeding season comes to a close and the ducks, swans and geese are going into moult, the mute swan family are slightly less aggressive with Bidou. Occasionally, the cygnets even allow her to feed alongside them. As you can see, if you've looked at my earlier postings, these two have grown considerably and are almost at the stage when their parents will chase them away and stop looking after them. Life can be so cruel!