Wetland Nest

This is a report on another visit to the nearby wetland to check out the swan family. Things are going well. The swan couple have certainly settled on six eggs because that's still the number. One of the swans (it could be the male) is keeping the eggs warm for the chemical and biological miracles to happen inside the eggs. For about a month these eggs have to be kept warm around 38 degrees I think for the cygnets to form and grow. The six eggs took a number of weeks to be laid and to ensure that all cygnets hatched at the same time proper heating over them did not start until the mystery number (6) was reached. It was a busy time for the swan couple to share in. From what I now know, both parents share the incubation period (in the work of keeping the eggs warm). You can view a video of the action on this day HERE including a moment when a Eurasian Coot ventures onto the nest. The accompanying music is composed and played by my brother Phil. 

Eurasian Coot Chick

This is a continuing story about the one surviving Eurasian Coot chick at our nearby wetland. It probably survived because the other three starved before it did, plus having the most persistent 'chirp' to keep its parent feeding it. Now few months old at this stage it continues to chirp persistently (and still get food from mum/dad), and only at the end of the video does it duck its head under the water to search for something to eat from the biomass it swims over. I have collected recent videos which can be seen HERE.

Wetland Wander

This is becoming a favourite haunt during this time of physical isolation. The water foul don't seem to be worried about getting sick or future economic problems. They all seem to be quite well with the foraging amongst the reeds and under the water surface. I made another video of current action on the water. What has to be acknowledged is that three of the four Eurasian Coot chicks are no longer about. That makes me sad. The one remaining chick seems to be getting helped well enough by its parents to be thriving. The video can be viewed HERE.

Moorhens and Guests

The Moorhens are the birds with the blue feathers. They are waders in that they don't have webbed feet like ducks, swans and Eurasian Coots (the birds with the white beaks). There are also cute little Eurasian Coot chicks swimming about as well. This time I made a seven minute movie of this visit to the wetland, called ‘Moorhens and their Guests’ and include the famous scherzo from Litolff's Concerto Symphonique No. 4 to create a nice lively mood. You can access the video here.

Eurasian Coot Chicks

It seems right to start this new blog series with something about what's happening at the wetlands close by to where I live. Only a few days before this video footage was taken, four little Eurasian Coot chicks had hatched and they were out and about on the wetland lake. If you notice, one or two of these chicks were particularly clingily and mother (or father) s/he was occasionally frustrated by the attention. I edited what I filmed into one movie with music composed by my brother. You can access this under four minute movie here. The chicks are very cute.