Category: David

When I first noticed this magpie, it was in a patch of ground-speading ivy, searching for insects. Then it came a little nearer, hopping across the short grass, still after the same prey.

I couldn’t see whether there was any soil for these coltsfoots to grow in, but the flowers seemed to be doing well right by the base of a brick wall.

Muscles tensed, with wings half raised, this swan posture is known as busking, and its purpose is to be threatening.

This is one of the growing number of swans on West Park lake. There’s now regularly over a dozen there, and aggressive moves are becoming more common, even from birds like this one, which is full sized but not yet fully mature.

Vole acting almost like it knew I didn’t have a proper telephoto lens with me.

Swimming around in the canal, climing out of the water onto a twig, or almost submerged as it dives, it is actually there in every picture, if hard to spot.

When the towpath got busy, it disappeared for so long I gave up waiting for it to return. I’d packed away my camera and was walking past the section of path nearest where it showed. Suddenly it sprang out of the water, scuttled past me as it hurried perhaps four feet along the edge of the back, then ducked back down into cover. The view was brief, but very clear.

Pair of geese mating in the shallows of the Severn by the Bylet at Bridgnorth. Like many of the geese which gather on the river there, the male has the all white feathers suggesting feral descent, which is likely also the reason for the female’s patchier white plumage.

Notice the aggression involved. The actions also triggered loud and continuing honking from the large number of geese on the Bylet.

Pair of geese mating in the shallows of the Severn by the Bylet at Bridgnorth. Like many of the geese which gather on the river there, the male has the all white feathers suggesting feral descent, which is likely also the reason for the female’s patchier white on the plumage.

Notice the aggression involved. The actions also triggered loud and continuing honking from the large number of geese on the Bylet.