Speaking too soon...

A pleasant Friday evening pootle on the river, was made all the more pleasant by the realisation that Mr. Asbo the swan wasn't patrolling his patch, but was chiling on the bank whilst Mrs. Asbo herded her five little cyngets along. Buoyed by this, I reassured the cox the next morning that there would be no more trouble from said swan. What I hadn't taken into account was that on the Friday evening there were virtually no boats on the river, but by the time we approached his domain yesterday morning he had been riled by eights ploughing up and down for several hours. He was, in consequence, in fine wing-flapping, flying at and even landing on the boat style. I don't know what the swan male hormone is, but I think he has it in droves. Indeed, this morning his attack was more sustained, as we got nearer the young in question. Fair enough, really. Hopefully photos to follow.

Those migrating song birds

According to a Radio 4 programme today, the numbers of song birds migrating from Africa to the UK for the summer are substantially down amongst certain species including the cuckoo. Having been brought in up the suburbs I can't say I ever regularly heard a cuckoo, if I did at all. But I have heard two this spring. Once when we were down in Sussex, and once this past weekend, claiming territory over this particular piece of fenland:

Things I am not fed up of (5)

Views. Here's one looking out from Orrest Head (Windermere) towards much higher things.