David

Flowers on a sycamore. These were on a young tree, so I didn’t need to stretch up to get the pictures.

When these pictures were taken, the coot pair which got a head start with raising young this year were still brooding the eggs. Although they shared the duty of staying on the eggs, protecting them ank keeping them warm, there were also other duties.

Here, one of the birds is carrying some vegetation back to give to the one staying on the nest. I thought at the time it was bringing some food; there’s some fuss as the material was exchanged, a bit of pair bond reinforcement. In fact, that particular piece of vegetation was still visible on the nest some days later, even once the chicks had hatched.

A profusion of white flowers on this double cherry tree overlooking the West Park lake. From a distance, almost too much for my taste.

Three pf the greylag geese on West Park lake having a bit of exercise. They took off from the water, flew round circling the island at treetop height two or three times, then came back down very near the spot they started from.

Flowers on a maple at Perton. In the background, out of focus, the water of the Penk which the tree was overhanging.

I thought the carrion crow was finding insects to eat in the soil, and occasionally going down to the water for a drink.

When I looked closer, I could see that every time it went down to the water it was bringing back a piece of sodden bread. There was a cache floating from when someone had been feeding the ducks, and leaving more than the ducks actually wanted to eat.

As I finished taking these pictures, the crow went back down to the water again. This time it came back with a complete slice of bread, which it look set to demolish as I left.