David

There’s crowds of geese on the Severn at Bridgnorth, mostly hanging round near the old bridge waiting for the next people who will come along to feed them. The majority have all-white feathers: feral farmyard birds. Some are greylags, with grey, brown, cream and white. Some are of mixed parentage, with patches of feathers corresponding to both.

This was one such, on its tod, swimming against the current to keep a fixed position just off the tip of the Bylet.

Bridgnorth Castle, one of the ruins that Cromwell knocked about a bit (probably not the man himself, but the Parliamentary Army after the Civil War siege of the town). The remaining walls lean further than the bell-tower at Pisa. There’s lots of wall-flowers growing in gaps between the stones and in huge cracks running up the walls.

Some bird species share parental responsibilities. Coots are one.

This was the next nest along from the one featured yesterday, only a couple of yards distant. As I watched, the brooding parent stood up and got into the water. The other parent got on to the nest, spent a short time preening to get its feathers comfortable, then hunkered down on the eggs.

Meanwhile, the bird now in the water swam off in search of food.

Pasque flower in one of the front gardens in East Castle Street, Bridgnorth. Although Easter has now passed while I delayed posting these pictures, they were actually taken very near the start of the month.

The garden, fronting the end house nearest the church, used to have two or three pasques with different coloured flowers out around Easter. This year when we went, this was the only one.

Coot patiently sitting on its nest, by the island in West Park lake. Because its probably brooding, it’s not doing much.

I went to look for the turtle, despite it being a cold morning. The turtle wasn’t there, but what may have been the mate of the brooding coot was.

Flowers on a box elder tree in the Castle Grounds Park, Bridgnorth. The tree is a native to north America, and also goes under several other names including the Manitoba maple.