Anyway, the weather was lovely, lots of flowers were in bloom, including dog roses, buttercups and a couple of species of vetches. There were a couple of swallows, 5 house martins, hedges full of house sparrows and several mallards on the water, including some youngsters looking almost grown up. The photo shows the adult female chasing the male away from the chicks.
But the birdwatching highlight was finding two families of mute swans with seven cygnets each. We had seen one of these pairs making its nest earlier this year and its wonderful to see that they have been so successful!
There are also some gorgeous photos of swans over on Let the Good Times Roll - you can see them here.
Grr, the cyclists not using their bells on the canal path is one of my pet peeves, it's really inconsiderate. I have to be careful walking along on my own, Jon seems to have better hearing than me and can hear bikes coming but I can't.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a wonderful walk!
ReplyDeleteBicyclists are the same here....
thanks for sharing; these are indeed scenic beauties
ReplyDeleteHello Crafty Geen Poet,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your nice walk along the Canal in Ediburgh very much! Here it's exactly the same with the cyclists, exactly!
I also enjoy walking very much, and as we have a dog, I frequently walk along the Danube or through Vienna's green Prater, or along Donaukanal. I was not aware that a city offers so many apportunies take even longer walks in the green.
How nice of you to put a link to my swans :) Thank you! Happy weekend!
Lovely walk and lovely photos Juliet - not so different from my wetlands walk on my blog today.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about cyclists - I am very deaf and do not hear them coming - and few of them have bells so it is a bit scary.
Thank you for the lovely photos. I really enjoyed them. Your header photo with the butterfly is absolutely gorgeous. Great shot!
ReplyDeleteGosh wish the cyclists had bells here on the paths in the woods...sometimes they mow you down if you don't hear them.
ReplyDeleteThe cygnets are just adorable. Lovely shots again.
Swans and offspring, how excellent. I love the black swans too. We have a nesting Morning Dove couple over the front porch, waiting for babies.....
ReplyDeleteYou've had a nice walk and got some nice pictures too. I love those swans and cygnets. Hope all is well. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteI've recently become a fan or your blog and though you and your readers might also be interested in another favorite of mine, an online lit mag called Narrative Magazine (at www.narrativemagazine.com). It offers its contents for free and also accepts all types of submissions (fiction, poetry, art, photography, non-fiction, etc.) Narrative also has a few contests going on now. Hope you have a chance to check it out!
ReplyDeleteTell us the story/history of the Union Canal...
ReplyDeleteHi Juliet
ReplyDeletedoes the mute swan mean he has no call?
Thanks for the lovely bird walk.
Happy Days
There's nothing nicer than a walk down the canal on a summers day! As a cyclist I want to apologise on behalf of all of us for the idiots who spoil things for everything by treating towpaths as their own personal racetrack. I do my best to be as considerate as I can when cycling because after all when I am not cycling I am a pedestrian and so I know exactly how it feels to be buzzed by an inconsiderate lycra lout. In fact even on my bike when going at a sensible speed and staying to the left I've been buzzed by an idiot on his bike screaming at me that I should learn to get out of the way! I'm glad you know we are not all the same, 'cause we're not. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the cygnets!
ReplyDeleteTwo families with seven cygnets is good going - you folks must be doing something right.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand how you feel about those cyclists who don't use their bells. Although I don't normally encounter cyclists at the park where I go for my weekly jogs, but there are a number of people who walk idly on the path and not bother to move aside when others run up behind them.. makes me feel the same way you do about the cyclists, wish they could be more considerate.
ReplyDeleteLove your photos of the mallards and swans!! I wanna hug the little cygnets!!
aw soo sweet; the stages of a birds life.
ReplyDeleteand how nice that simple clean blue and white plate!