Crackin week Gromit

So much has happened I had to find time let you all know about it.

 

On Tuesday the first of our Swallows arrived from Africa always a good sign - photo's to follow.

 

On Wednesday I walked down to the pond with the feed for the ducks and a female Moorhen popped off the island followed by five little black bobbits.

 

 

 

Both parents are very attentive and keep the little ones in the shadows so they are safe from predators.

 

Then to top it all today Chantelle the female Mallard's eggs hatched. First I saw one on his own and chirping, he had come to far and get stuck, he was at the opposite end of the pond from mums nest. Then I noticed three more in the centre of the pond so got the boat in the water and put the singleton back with it's siblings. Whilst on the water mum popped out from her secure nest site with more babies, then more appeared, then even more until eighteen frenzied little stripy balls of fluff were following mum around on the water.

 

 

One face in a crowd.

 

 

 

 

Mum and the Eighteen.

Newbies

This is so Scarlett can see our new arrivals - they are three young ducks who are all females.

 

 

Here we have Jackie, Jemima and Polly, so-called because Sue says that Jackie and Polly look like a Jackson Pollock painting.

 

 

 

These guys have never seen a pond or large amount of water so we will see how long it takes for them to follow the other ducks and start to enjoy a good swim and a bath. 

We only really wanted to just get the two dark ones but knew that the other would be in the pot tomorrow if she did not come home with us.

 

Another very temporary guest is this little chap who is a Garden Dormouse, whose hibernation I disturbed when getting some bales of straw down from our pile.

 

 

I popped him into a box with some of the straw and am happy to say that shortly after this photo session he burrowed into the straw curled into a ball and went back to sleep. He is now safe in a quiet cold part of the house where he will stay for the next few weeks until he is ready for the great outdoors.

 

To finish here are two shots of our Snowdrops before they fade away for another year......

 

 

2013

Sorry for not having posted for so long - I have put together a selection of my Images from last year with a tentative link to water.

Dancing in the mist

 

mist in the pines

 

 

our Syrah sorting out the new girl

the eyes have it

 

saplings in the flood

 

one of our Coypu
 

here he is showing you his wonderful orange teeth
 

fluffing up against the cold