Thunderthighs is back

Golden Eye on her eggs as they begin to hatch

I was beginning to wonder whether Golden Eye's eggs would ever hatch. The weather wasn't particularly great and when they started to hatch it poured with rain. None of the ducklings would leave the nest box in spite of her frantic calls to them to take to the water.

A glance inside the box while Golden Eye was grabbing a quick break

At last they all reluctantly emerge

After half a day of doing her best to tempt them out the last duckling finally emerged from the shelter of the box. The weather was so vile I can hardly blame them for wanting to stay warm and dry.

Several days later with one of only two remaining ducklings

Every evening Golden Eye would take the young back into the box for the night but what a palaver that was. Gobi, her partner, was always there but never went inside the box. Every time it seemed like they were all finally inside, one would waddle out again and fall down the plank into the river. It was hilarious to watch and usually took between 30 and 4o minutes for Golden Eye to get them all safely tucked up.

After about 5 days Golden Eye was finally down to one lovely duckling and I so hoped that it would survive but it strayed into nesting coot territory and was pecked to death. I saw it floating downstream on its back and there was nothing I could do to save it. I was SO upset and so was Golden Eye. She spent the next two days calling for it incessantly and she kept returning to the nesting box to check whether it had returned. Every year I promise myself that I shall harden my heart to the natural wastage in Nature but it never works.

Bidou calls round for some wheat

Bidou's nest failed again and after sitting for six weeks she finally abandoned it. However, I subsequently heard that she'd been taken to a sanctuary for several days after she was found cowering following a severe beating, so her eggs would have gone cold if they were fertilised. We shall never know now.

She still follows the mute swans around but is not readily tolerated by them. Bidou chases the cygnets when she gets a chance, which doesn't endear her to the parent mute swans. Mind you, the cygnets are now nearly fully grown and will soon be driven out of the territory by their mum and dad! Recently Bidou has taken to calling forlornly, rushing up and downstream in search of suitable company! We all hope that a male black swan will turn up to keep her company.

Hampton Sailing Club

On one of the few sunny afternoons we've had this summer we grabbed the chance of a boat trip and enjoyed an hour on the river. It's been such a disappointing summer, not just because of the rain but because it's been permanently overcast.

Hampton Church with sailing club in foreground

Astoria and Garrick's temple to Shakespeare

The weir house at Molesey Lock

I've had so little chance to take decent photographs this summer because of the gloomy days and general lack of light and sunshine. Today is fine but hazy so we hope to get out for an hour before sunset. It's hard to believe that the weather has been so dreadfully dull and extremely wet. We've had rain, often torrential, most days for about two months.

We were surprised last week to see a familiar shape stumbling along our deck. Thuderthighs the coot, whom we all thought had been finished off in the Spring by other coots, suddenly turned up again. He still looks really scruffy and is unsteady on his pins, but I'm glad that he's still going strong. When he wants feeding he does his best to limp towards us (he's lost a toe so he's rather unbalanced) and he spends most of his time hiding from the other coots and making one huge mess of our deck! Still, I admire his tenacious hold on life and put up with the fact that I have an incontinent water bird to clean up after.

Will Bidou breed this year?

Could this be mating?

Since Bidou's return to our stretch of the river the male mute swan has mostly ignored her and she hasn't been welcomed by the family, especially the cygnets. She's no longer encouraged to tag along with them and seems forlorn. Recently I haven't seen her with them at all except when she turns up for food at the same time. Several weeks ago she managed to flirt with the cob when he was on his own and it was difficult to tell whether they attempted to mate or whether he was attacking her. However, she is now nesting on Duck Ait and sitting on eggs!

Attack or an attempt at mating?

Shortly afterwards Bidou made a show of building a nest on our plank

Snakey returning to her uncoventional nest

Snakey has raised a second brood in this unusual spot. I would occasionally add a little meadow hay to the nest to cover the eggs and protect them from attack by magpies and crows but it seemed to disappear and we wondered whether she ate some of it.

Snakey returning for the final 'sit in'

She spent longer than usual in the pond, washing and grooming and seemed in no hurry to return to the nest. The weather was warm so we assumed the eggs would be fine on their own for a while. When we looked they were covered in her downy feathers. Two eggs looked like they were slightly cracked so we guessed that they were beginning to hatch. The next morning she flew down into the river and called to the ducklings frantically to follow but either they couldn't climb the steep sides or just didn't fancy the long drop. She kept returning to the pot in an effort to urge them to follow her. In the end Dave carried the pot downstairs and helped launch the ducklings into the river close to Snakey. Nine healthy ducklings rushed over to her and for a day stuck like limpets to her sides. That afternoon we watched with amusement as she rounded them all up and led them into the empty riverside nesting box, their little feet slipping on the plank as it got wetter and wetter. Like Golden Eye, who is sitting on eggs in the adjacent box, Snakey has found a safe and dry shelter for the ducklings to return to. By the second day she was down to seven ducklings, then she lost four yesterday and now she's has only one. Meanwhile, some of Golden Eye's ducklings hatched yesterday but, as it's raining hard she can't persuade them to leave their nest! So far we've only seen one of them. In fact, we're a little puzzled because it seemed to us that one of Snakey's two remaining ducklings clambered into the wrong nesting box and wasn't rejected. We'll know eventually because Golden Eye had nine eggs so we'll be able to work out whether this might have happened. It's unlikely, but we know that Golden Eye's partner was 'unfaithful' several times with Snakey so there could be a common 'dad'! If Golden Eye ends up with more than nine ducklings, we'll be able to tell what happened to Snakey's last but one duckling.

The Fab Four photographed through the glass patio door

At least these ducklings are a success. They're the only ones, so far, to survive on this stretch of the river. As you can see they're a reasonable size now and they've already grown since I took this picture of them a week or so ago. In fact, it's getting difficult to tell them apart from the adult ducks.

Neighbours Malcolm & Lyn trying out their new kayak

While we were in Portugal England had its summer and since then the weather's been very changeable, hence the dull light in most of the images.

Music Festivals

We've been in Portugal, again this year, half way between Lisbon and the Algarve, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the wonderful Festival Músicas Do Mundo (FMM) in Sines. Held every year in July, FMM invites the most important names of the global circuit in world music, jazz and blues to perform at the biggest world music festival in Portugal. The festival kicked off in Sines for one night with music from Brasil, Mali and Galicia. It then moved to Porto Covo, a picturesque village in Alentejo, for three nights with a selection of bands from Portugal, Cape Verde, USA, Belgium/Finland, Italy, India and Belize/Honduras, before returning to Sines.

Danae

Danae, one of the many vibrant performers, wowed the crowd outside the Arts Centre with her amazing voice and performance.

Waldemar Bastos from Angola

The castle of Sines is a superb setting for many of the performers, culminating in a magnificent firework display on the final night of the festival.

Vinicio Capossela from Italy

A statue of Vasco da Gama, adjacent to the castle, overlooks the harbour of Sines

Asif Ali Khan & Party musicians from Pakistan

Each year an eclectic mix of musical talent entertains the crowd in a variety of locations including the Arts Centre, the Beach and the Castle at Sines as well as by the beach at Porto Covo.

Praia de S. Torpes

This is one of the most crowded beaches in the area but, as you can see, it doesn't look overcrowded for a sunny day in July. This is a view from the lovely beach restaurant/bar Trinca Espinhas which we can highly recommend for its lovely seafood and delicious starters.

Ashraf Malik behind his stall of crystals and natural stones

During the music festival the steps from Sines castle to the beach are lined with interesting stalls offering crystals, jewellery, ayurvedic massages, clothing and artefacts. Ashraf had a beautiful collection of crystals, pendulums, essential oils and the like.

KTU from Finland/USA

A view from backstage looking across the castle grounds

Alcácer do Sal

Bunting decorates one of the streets in Alcácer do Sal, a pretty riverside town an hour's drive from Sines. Seek out one of the riverside restaurants for some good Portugese food.

Colourful stalls line the promenade at Sines

One of the pleasures of Sines during the music festival is its collection of (mostly) hippie stalls by the beach. Another is its mix of 'tasquinhas' or food and drink stands next to the stage by the beach. Wander off the beach and you've a great selection of food and drink to chose from. This year we really liked the Kibes (minced meat patties flavoured with pine nuts, bulgar wheat and herbs, in particular mint) washed down with a mean mojito cocktail made by one of the stalls.

The Dizu Plaatjies' Ibuyambo Ensemble

This band from South Africa entranced the audience on the stage by the beach, giving the sunset that evening a special feel. It's a magical setting, a sea of happy faces bordered by the sea, and spirits are high!

The Vasco da Gama beach of Sines

The statue of navigator Vasco da Gama, which is adjacent to the town castle, overlooks this beach. You can just see the dark scaffolding of the beach stage to the left of the image. Although ringed by industry and large shipping piers, Sines beach and harbour remain unspoilt.

The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble USA

Last year the festival featured street musicians. This colourful ensemble proved popular with the crowds beachside.

Porto Palafito Carrasqueira on the Sado River estuary

Harry Manx on stage 2007

The wonderful Blues man and mohan veena player Harry Manx from Canada performing on the beach stage.

A magical moment between father and child

Lula Pena performs for a young audience in the Arts Centre in 2007

Lula gives a workshop at the Arts Centre

A view of Sines harbour from the castle walls

Mud Morganfield at the Mijas Blues Festival in Spain, June 2008

Music from another part of the Mediterranean - Mijas in Spain. We spent a great long weekend in June at the Blues Festival in Mijas listening to some excellent musicians, including eldest son of Muddy Waters, Mud Morganfield.

Big Joe Louis and Wes Weston on stage at Mijas

If you love The Blues you'll love this festival, set in the lovely surroundings of Mijas.

Peaches Staten from Chicago

Sunday morning, after the festival

The streets were quiet on the morning following the festival. Mijas is a picturesque white village (pueblo blanca) in the foothills of the Costa del Sol which overlooks the sea. It attracts artists and tourists alike and has many tempting boutiques.

A street scene in Mijas

Winners, losers and the return of the prodigal swan

Mouthwatering fruit & vegetables

It's that time of year again - the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show week. Set in the wonderful venue of Home Park and in view of Cardinal Wolsey's (and subsequently Henry VIII's) magnificent palace, the show is a visual feast. This year in particular the word feast springs to mind, with the emphasis on growing and cooking an array of fruit and vegetables.

Joe Swift chats with a delighted award- winning garden designer

Dorset Cereals Edible Playground garden is an inspiration to those thinking of starting vegetable plots in schools, inspiring children to grow their own fruit and vegetables. It also gets them thinking about where their food comes from . I believe it won best of show. It is full of edible plants offering colour, texture and taste and incorporating many environmental features.

The Thai floating market stand

This colourful spectacle, on the banks of the Long Water, is proving very popular with the public, who are able to buy a selection of Thai goods such as fans and hand-painted umbrellas.

The Spirits' Garden

This vibrant garden contains spiritual and symbolic elements, using reflective mirrors to reverse the world as we see it. The plants have been selected for their texture or their fragrance, and many have been handed down through generations. It is intended primarily for solitary contemplation, meditation and relaxation.

Bidou's back!

We may never discover where Bidou disappeared to for the breeding season but she's back, minus any cygnets, if she did manage to breed successfully. Our family of mute swans aren't best pleased at her reappearance and even the cob drives her off. Earlier in the year it seemed like he was a little partial to her flattering attention but, now that he has a family, he's taking his responsibilities seriously! As they are the only 'relatives' in the area she tags along behind them and calls mournfully when she is driven away.

One of this year's winners

The attrition rate for ducklings, baby coots and young grebes this year is dreadful once again. The Herring Gulls pick them off at leisure and what they don't grab the pike, herons and crows take. This is one clever mallard to have managed to keep four for this long but then she's incredibly wary and constantly alert. The ducklings have taken to climbing up our swimming ladder onto the deck in order to be fed and then they curl up together on a coir mat for a kip. It's so lovely to at least see one set of survivors.

A gentle sunset looking towards Hampton Church on the main river

We haven't had too many good evenings this year so when we do we try to get out in the boat for an evening meander round the islands. It's mid July and quite cold for the time of year, which means that the river probably won't warm up enough for swimming by the autumn.

Golden Eye with her last surviving duckling

When we came back from the Mijas Blues Festival our two nesting mallards had already hatched their young. The one we call "snake duck" had nine ducklings but lost them all within two days, and Golden Eye hatched seven. There were no signs of either ducks nor ducklings when we arrived home, but to my amazement Golden Eye was sitting in the lower deck nesting box with two ducklings. She'd obviously decided that it would do nicely as a nursery! We were thrilled to see that she still had two ducklings but after three days one of them disappeared and the other only lasted four more days. We were just beginning to hope that it might make it to adulthood. It was most amusing to watch her rounding them up at night and marching them up the plank to bed. Frequently she made at least four attempts before they would follow her to bed. Never one to give up Golden Eye has now decided to try for a third brood this year and has adopted the riverside nesting box with ramp as her preferred accommodation. "Snake duck" meanwhile has littered the patio deck with earth again having returned to her 'chimney pot' on the top deck. They are both currently sitting on at least six eggs each.

What happened to the seven baby coots?

The coots have had a hard time of it this year. Their nest was partially washed way with some of the eggs but they still managed to hatch 7 youngsters. They look so comical with their punk hair styles. The seven survived for about a week and then four disappeared one day, two the next and the last one the following day. I know that a pike lurks close to where they were nesting and presume that it was probably the main culprit.

One of the rare colourful sunsets of the summer season

Where's the fourth?

Three cygnets hang around while a fourth undergoes the indignity of being handled by humans. Their parents reared out of the water at us, which is quite threatening when you're holding one of their young and it's calling out plaintively to its mum and dad. When the family came for a spot of breakfast I spotted a large float twisted round it's wing and leg. I managed to grab the young swan from the river before being attacked and, while Dave held it I freed the line. Unfortunately it had swallowed the hook and it was too far down its throat for me to deal with so I called the local experts, Peter and Addie, and they popped down armed with the right equipment.

Addie holding the cygnet while Peter prepares to cut the line

Fortunately it was a very fine hook and although it was too far down the cygnet's throat to do anything without damaging the tissue Peter decided that it was probably safe to cut the line. I promised to keep an eye on the cygnet over the following days in case it showed signs of losing its appetite, but there appeared to be no ill effects. The cob made several attempts to attack first us and then Peter and Addie, but soon settled down once the cygnet was put back in the river. The four are thriving so it obviously coped with the tiny hook but the line would have been fatal had it not been cut away and disposed of.

Dad tries to impress us with his size and strength

Once the cygnet was released the cob 'attacked' Peter and Addie several more times and then followed them upstream with his wings flared in warning. Fortunately memories are short and the cygnets visit 6 or 7 times a day, with Bidou hovering in the background. In fact, they've just visited and to my amazement Bidou thought her luck had changed when the cob appeared to attempt to mount her. Unfortunately (or not) depending on viewpoint, he gave her a few sharp nips on the neck and when she realised that this was more of an attack than an amorous approach she 'shrieked' and made a bid for freedom! After chasing her off for a few moments they both started preening and the cob returned to his family.