Wolves Wild

Very near the snowdrops which featured in yesterday’s post.

The two parent swans with a half grown youngster.

Signs of spring at last.

There are usually a couple of these in a field across the Staffs and Worcs canal at Castlecroft.

Lichens and small plants like this fern grow along the face of the wall of the Goatwalk, overlooking the Exe estuary at Topsham.

This bird was fluffing its feathers up. I wasn’t sure if that was a protection against the cold earlier this month, or a way of making itself look more imposing to scare off rivals.

The lichens are profuse on the bushes nearest to the sea at Dawlish Warren.

This bird seemed unworried even when I came up close to it.

From a spot by the river in Topsham, where swans, ducks and gulls are gathered to get regular offerings of bread.

Fringing the water along much of the Exe estuary, as seen in the previous two posts.

The now disused Topsham lock and the former lock keeper’s cottage from across the river Exe in Topsham.

The canal (foreground), the river (behind, with boat) and the reed bed on the bank between them. That bank also has a path.

The Exeter canal has a path the entire length of both banks – originally so that boats being towed in opposite directions could pass each other quickly and easily.