1st May

Today is May Day, 1st May, but there are no photo's of Morris Dancers, Maypoles or Hobby Hoss' as I couldn't get to where any of the celebrations were. Instead I took a stroll down to the duckponds with both joy and sadness in the air. The joy was seeing Mr and Mrs Swan at the nest with Mrs Swan turning the eggs. I love seeing the tender way she moves around the nest and turns the eggs. Getting excited as they should hatch in the next week or two.

The sadness was hearing then seeing what I believe was the Mummy Moorhen calling out and sitting on what was one of her nests. Sadly all of her chicks have been 'taken' presumably by the gulls.

Tipping the balance back in favour of good news the duck family are doing well, the ducklings are starting to show some independence, swimming of in different directions, 

but mum still keeps a watchful eye, calling them back to her if she spies danger.

I've also learnt a useful tip over the past couple of days, despite reports saying you shouldn't feed swans and ducks bread, as long as it is not mouldy it is fine. But after a comment from someone I met down at the ponds and a bit of google searching I found out it's better to feed them frozen peas or sweetcorn (fresh off the cob or tinned, obviously not in the tin). Other things better than bread are lettuce, cucumber or spinach.