Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 9th September, 2023)

As usual a good photo Dennis. I bet they are afraid to go in the water cos they'll end up with green plumage. Also the dandilions seem to be thriving, you must have had lots of rain recently.

Love it.

I can confirm the rain Derek, before this week we have had little else but rain!
I saw this family of swans paddling down the canal in line ahead formation, one white swan in the lead, all the youngsters behind perfectly spaced and the other white swan bringing up the rear. It would have made a great picture, but by the time I got my camera out and ready they had moved on. I caught up with them later and took this picture.

Mum and Dad keeping the offsprings in check…?
Could learn something from them..there’s always an ‘outsider’ though…..the one, on the right.

They don't keep there offspring's in check, in fact they cant wait to get rid of them, and its common for them to kill them if they stick around to long.
Nature eh.

I’ll be riding along that stretch today Dennis,we did a 50mile ride round the Trent and Mersey canal +the Caldon canal last Sunday and no nanny green teeth but the lake at Hanley was covered in it,strange must be the lack of flowing water.

Well Dennis it was worth the trudge, there's always one who wants to be different Veronica.
If you stick your hand in the water it will come out covered in duckweed, though it seems not to stick to feathers?

According to Mark Nicolaides an expert on Swans a Cygnet can hang around with the parent Swans right up until their next egg is due to be laid, he says it will then leave to seek its own independent life. So it seems they protect their offspring and don't kill them.

https://www.swanlife.com/gallery

https://www.swanlife.com/information-about-swans

Their family ties must be very strong as seen here in these photos of how Swans have a burial ceremony for when a Cygnet dies.
https://www.swanlife.com/swan-burial

We have been away for a few days...glad to see WW is back to normal Brian.
Good pic as always Dennis !

Well Done Brian , if it was you who sorted it .
Like going to the theatre , you see the show but not those behind scenes who make the show happen in the first place .

Some will wait for hours ,
Some , a many more ,
hidden or more obvious,
who find the passion more .
Daft are those who sacrifice?
their journey wait to see ,
who share a moment captured ,
that gem from them to me ..

I hope this h comment gets through.. some months ago I saw a photo of a beautiful swan in a man’s arms and she had her head on his shoulder because he had rescued her from a frozen pond. I had tears in my eyes.

I rode past Nellie the half submerged barge today just before Crooke village and bridge 47 coming from Parbold,the tow path is looking better but a pity that set/block as not been replaced further along towpath just before the pier.

John, Ive been in touch with CRT about those missing bricks several times.

Thanks for pointing out the information Cyril. It was very touching seeing the swan with her eyes closed as if she was praying!
I particularly like the little verse at the end. “They are not our playthings, they are not our sport and they are not without rhyme or reason .
Instead they create valuable life stories of their own.”

Anon.

That’s good Mick that set has been missing for a few months but it caught me out on Saturday probably riding to close to biking friend missed it with front wheel but back dropped in hole ended up with a puncture within a few feet fixed it and ended up forgetting my fingerless gloves only missing them at Leigh marina probably forget my head if it was loose.

Very good photo Dennis, you got quite near them, without ruffling their feathers.