Nesting Swans

and Safariman, another brilliant update with great comments and superb photos.

140 photos in 20 minutes - that's a lot!

I can imagine you'll come back with thousands after Zambia

Lai

Final update on the swans before I depart for Zambia tomorrow.
The swans were doing some tidying-up and housework around the nest, possibly about to change over incubation duties so I took the opportunity to have a quick peek in the nest. There appears to be at least 4 eggs and I hope they can organise their hatching until I return!!!
Mrs Moorhen still sitting comfortably on her nest but I was only able to see 4 ducklings.
Must go and start sorting out my packing although its fairly easy, I just take 3 of everything, one to wear, one clean and one in the laundry!! The difficult bit is remembering to charge all the batteries for cameras, i-pad, kindle etc. I always seem to have pack more cables and chargers than anything else.
Will update you about everything when i return on the 15th.




The male swan is on the bank and the female in the pond.






Safariman

Safariman and for your final update before you leave for Zambia. Good to know all is well on your pond.

with the packing, it ends up with more leads, chargers and cables than clothes for sure.

Don't forget mosie spray/repellent the tsetse fly are mean in Zambia

Have a totally brilliant time, I am soooooooooooooooooo jealous and have a safe journey and take zillions of photos.

Lai

Thank you for the update and wonderful pictures Safariman, those eggs look huge and I am keeping my fingers crossed they don't hatch until you return, it would be a shame for you to miss it as you have been keeping such a good eye on them.
Glad that everything appears well on the pond. Only 4 ducklings, I hope the others were hiding and thats not a final head count

You have a brilliant time in Zambia, we will miss you and have a safe journey there and back. Have fun and take care.

littlewid-x-

Great updates thanks Safariman. Brave Man getting close enough to the Swans nest to see how many eggs I dont know if you follow Springwatch, but there was an interesting section on Mallard Ducks on tonights episode. For a pocket camera the quality of those pics is superb what MP is it ?, I know what you mean about the screen, and another problem in bright weather is seeing it as well. With wildlife you can get really carried away with the number of shots, its so easy.
Have a great time in Zambia, really looking forward to hearing your stories, and seeing the photos you capture.
WS

On Sunday morning having just returned from my trip to Zambia I took a quick look at the pond and found to my dismay that the Swan's nest was empty, with no sign of the swans or any cygnets. In fact the only occupants were the 4 remaining ducklings and their mum now enjoying some superior accommodation. I spoke to my neighbour this morning who had also been keenly watching developments. He said that the first egg hatched the day I left on my trip and that eventually 7 cygnets were hatched (I obviously under estimated the number of eggs in the nest!!) However three days after the last egg hatched they all disappeared adults and cygnets and were nowhere to be seen. The only possible explanation seems to be that their is a nearby small river/stream and that the parents moved them there as soon as they were able. Unfortunately the stream is quite fast flowing due to the incessant rain so I only hope they managed to survive and find a new home. My neighbour had searched all around but could find no sign of them, all a bit of a mystery and rather an anticlimax to what had gone on before.
However there are now 4 quite large ducklings on the pond and the moorhens are still sitting on the nest so hopefully they will hatch soon. I will keep you posted.

Safariman

Awwwww no Safariman, that's so disappointing to hear    Lets maybe keep a positive frame of mind though and hope that for some reasons they moved away from the nest and they are all ok, fingers crossed that is the case.
 
Great to hear there are still 4 ducklings on the go who are making the most of the 5 star accommodation and obviously growing up nicely  

Hi Safariman it's good to have you back and looking forward to hearing all about your trip.

What a real shame about the Swans, it's sad for us but when you had been so closely following them and they were on your pond so to speak, it must have been really deflating to come home too.
I agree with Doogs that we must think positively that they moved to somewhere that was a little less populated and that they made the river ok and they are all living very happily together.......but they could have waited till you got home to get the last few pics of them!

Glad the ducklings and Moorhens are doing just fine and look forward to seeing some pictures of the growing ducklings.

Please thank your neighbour for keeping an eye out and trying to find them after they had moved on. I know he was watching them anyway but if he hadn't been watching we wouldn't know how many cygnets there were and what potentially happened, so a big THANKS   

littlewid-x-

Took a quick look at the pond this morning and to my surprise found that the Moorhen eggs had hatched. I think there are between 6-8 tiny little chicks, it is difficult to see exactly as they were zipping about the pond at high speed while mum and dad were trying to feed them with the bread I had provided. The Moorhens are excellent parents as they keep the chicks on the pond until they are quite big. The parents spend all their time scavenging for food to keep their brood fed. The chicks are definitely not as charismatic as the Mallard ducklings with their bald heads bright red beaks and protruding eyes but they are one of my favourites. I tried to take some pics but I only had my pocket camera with me so the quality is not too good.









Safariman

  they are like little balls of black cotton wool !!!  Gorgeous, thanks Safariman   

See Safariman, the swans didn't wait but the Moorhens waited for your return  . I love the Moorhens and they always amuse me when I go to the WWT and I think the chicks are cute, as Doogs say's black cotton wool balls.

The parents must be one of the most sensible parents, keeping their chicks safe on the water until they are bigger, out of harms way is the best way.

Thanks for the pictures Safariman, may have been your little pocket camera but we got to see the Moorhens and their chicks which is the important thing

littlewid-x-

Shame the Swans went away Safariman, but I feel they must have done ot for a good reason, so hopefully they are safe somewhere. At least the Mallards got to upgrade to the penthouse suit  . Lovely to see the Moorhen chicks they look very like the Water Rail chicks that hatched on Springwatch same description little black balls of fluff. Thanks for the photos, any pics are great

WS

Thanks for the update Safariman.  Let's hope the swans and cygnets are all safe and okay, I guess they had their reasons to move.

Lovely to see the moorhen chicks.

Lai

Managed to take some more Moorhen pics today when the sun was shining!! The chicks seem to be developing at different speeds, with one considerably bigger than it's siblings and one very much the runt. The ducklings have now vacated the pond leaving just the Moorhens and one or two Mallards so there is not too much competition for food which should help the Moorhens.



Couldn't resist this pic taken this morning showing them all lined up waiting for breakfast!!



The one on the right seems to be bigger than the rest



Mum or Dad having a quick wash and brush up







The smallest one hoping to be fed!!


Safariman

 Safariman - those are lovely photos of the moorhen chicks, I love the one of them all lined up waiting expectantly.

Lai

Those are lovely Safariman and the little one has done well so far, so I am sure he will be just fine, he is definitely my favourite and I reckon he is a little survivor.

I adore the shot of them all lining up for breakfast, that is such  smashing picture. I don't have much on on Sunday as far as I can remember, so I may go to my local WWT in Arundel to see if I can spy any Moorhen chicks myself.

Thank you for the update Safariman.

littlewid-x-

A quick update on life on the pond. The 4 remaining Mallard ducklings made a brief return visit to the pond. They are now almost fully grown and appear to be 3 female and 1 male. They almost mugged me when I was trying to feed the Moorhens!!! There are now 5 Moorhen chicks and the parents are kept bust trying to find food for them. I try and help with the odd slice of bread. My neighbour managed to get some photos of the Swan cygnets before they moved on so at least there is now a record of them and very cute they looked too. I am rather sad that I missed them.







Safariman

Good to know at least of the Mallard ducklings made it in the end. The Moorhen chicks do look scruffy little things, really comical. Did your neighbour say how many Cygnets there were ?. Shame you missed them after following their story for so long. Thanks for the update, and great pics as usual Safariman
WS

Lovely to see the Moorhen Chicks Safariman, I love the tuftyness of them   good to know the Mallard chicks have done well. Lets hope food is not problem for the Moorhen parents and I bet they are really grateful for the bread you give them.

It is a real shame you missed the cygnets as you had spent time photographing the adults and keeping an eye on the eggs. Do you think your neighbour will let you post his pictures on here so we can see them Safariman?

I love the last pictures that you posted here especially the last one>

littlewid-x-

Not sure LW as the photos I have of the cygnets are just a couple of prints. I don't know if my neighbour still has the originals on a memory card that I could download onto my computer.
This is a short video of the Moorhens and chicks at feeding time!! It is fascinating to watch them as the adults, as soon as they have finished feeding always have a wash and brush-up and now the chicks are starting to copy them, even trying to flap the tiny stubs of their wings

https://youtu.be/9rE5j2z9Cn0

Safariman

What a brilliant video Safariman. The chicks really are learning by example aren't they. He/she was so cute standing on the branch then copying mum or dad and then back on the branch only to be met by the other parent going to have a splash at the other end, it did make me smile and his little wings buzzing was just just fabulous. It was so nice to see them altogether feeding and just being a happy family, thoroughly enjoyed that and I know the others will too.

The video well made up for no cygnet pics Safariman and only ask your friend if it's not going to bother him but I am glad you have a couple of pics to remember them by, it's a nice memento for you to have.

littlewid-x-

My neighbour very kindly lent me her memory card so that I could download some of the photos she took of the swan cygnets soon after they hatched in early June and before they disappeared while I was away in Zambia. There are some great photos and I am very envious!!



















Mum, Dad and all seven chicks before they disappeared!!


Safariman

Oh   those are wonderful Safariman. Thanks so much for sharing and what a shame you missed them, but I feel sure Zambia more than made up for it.

Lai