West Park swan pair and their four young cygnets. These pictures were taken early on the morning after those in yesterday’s post; the young birds had now hatched about twenty-four hours previously.
When I arrived, the swan family were on the water close to boating lake island. After a couple of minutes they began to head out into the open water in a long, gentle paddle which ended near the shore by where I was standing.
One of the West Park nesting herons at the edge of an island. It caught and ate something, probably a series of small fish. Then it flew off to join its mate on the nest.
Close-ups of red flowers on the same horse chestnut tree as in the previous post.
Red horse chestnut flowers almost seemed to glow in the bright sunlight of a spring morning.
Cute and fluffy as ever, four cygnets on West Park lake with the pen close by (the cob was on watch a little further away).
The chicks were still very young – eightteen hours earlier, one of the parents was still brooding the eggs on the rudimentary nest on the island.
Fly with bright red compound eyes resting on a thistle leaf in the spring sunshine.
Swan brooding eggs on what looks like a very rudimentary nest on one of the islands on West Park lake. Four cygnets later emerged (lots of pictures to come).
A few seconds and a slight change of angle gave views both of the lower and upper wings of a resting peacock butterfly.
The impressive wisteria which covers most of the Bridgnorth Road facade of the Mermaid Inn, just beginning to flower early in May.
West Park herons’ nest with one bird standing up in the nest. Probably changeover time as one bird replaces the other in brooding the eggs.
Today’s two posts show the same West Park herons’ nest featured yesterday, a couple of days after those pictures were taken. In this set, an accident of perspective makes it look like a gull is standing guard for the nest.
Broom bush covered in flowers, which was directly behind me as I took the pictures in the previous post.