Last week I had to collect some work from University, I literally had to be in Lincoln for 5 minutes but I thought I’d make the most of my time there.
I recently mentioned that being a ‘nature geek’ had not worked wonders for me when I was younger and I have to admit, I’m still finding it quite difficult to express my true excitement when I see a song thrush, Turdus philomelos, running along our local cricket field or to stand still and watch a wren, Troglodytes troglodytes, singing impressively loud whilst I’m walking the dogs. So when I had received my work from Uni, I took a stroll alongsisde the Brayford and was so excited but what I saw.
I had seen last years’ cygnets, once a scruffy brown turn in to elegant swans throughout the year. I was now greeted by the quiet squeeking of the newly hatched, fluffy grey cygnets of the Brayford pool. Their mother swan with them, looking around every so often to make sure her babies wer nearby. I stood in awe of these beautiful creatures, weaving around the narrow boats looking for food.
It is amazing to see how much these tiny babies will grow and how quickly too. The Springwatch in me reminded me of the dangers that these adorable cygnets could face. I could see no gulls or crows nearby but that didn’t mean they were out of harms way. The eight little ducklings I’d seen weeks before dwindled almost before my eyes. Within a few days of seeing the remaining two ducklings, I was faced with around six pairs of mallards, who were nestled together. It could have been any one of those pairs who had brought the ducklings in to this world, and now they only had each other!
There was also a lovely surprise on the River Freshney in Grimsby. I’ve often seen a single swan roaming along the waters but I had no idea there was a small population. To my releif, there were other members of the public who were stood by, watching a mother swan with her brood. It was quite nice to see how the public had been captured by these serene sight. Her cygnets were evidently older than the ones on the Brayford (as you can see by their size!) And although there was a shifty looking herring gull, Larus argentatus, making its way through a hoard of pigeons, all the mother swan had to do was stand up and at once he was intimidated and skulked off.
As much as I love the summer time for the weather and time off – I just can’t get enough of spring and all the gorgeous baby animals that it brings with it!
