Category: David

The canal towpath is rather narrow for keeping physical distance from people coming the other way, so an early morning excursion along a short stretch brought me to Aldersley Junction, quiet even with a lone angler on the opposite path.

Coot chicks, very young and keeping close to the nest on West Park lake, being fed by one of the parent birds.

Now well into spring, but there are still a few cold nights leading to frosty mornings, and plants decorated like these.

The older set of greylag goslings being led across West Park boating lake by their parents. As they swam across, the parents were also teaching the young ones to dive to get their feathers wet, cleaning themselves as they surfaced.

First picture in the set is the splash as one of the goslings submertged.

On Wednesday the restrictions on exercise under the lockdown regime were relaxed somewhat. I celebrated by heading out a little way into the south Staffordshire countryside.

Here are two horses grazing in fields right by the Smestow: one in Seisdon, the other a mile or so downstream in a butteercup-filled field at Trysull.

Mining bees – probably two different species – resting on leaves to warm themselves in the spring sunshine.