Swans..... courtship and what follows!

Mute Swans courtship

 I watched this pair of swans going through their courtship routine and dancing around each other with their necks making the "heart shape" so familiar with romance.

When the dance ends the romance is soon over and its down to an aggressive passion as the female is forced beneath the water during copulation.

Unfortunately for this pair, the nest they'd spent weeks preparing, has been hijacked by a pair of Canada Geese so they need to start over again!

 

Spoonbill and Shoveler

Spoonbill

 

 

At Walmsley sanctuary this afternoon there was some great light and many good birds.

The 2 which caught my camera lens were both birds with very distinctive bills... the Spoonbill and the Shoveler.

Unusual for us to have an adult Spoonbill as our previous ones have invariably been young birds.

Drake Shoveler

Corvids at Godrevy

Raven

 

 

I was up at Godrevy Head yesterday morning just after dawn, it was quite cold and windy with poor light but I was able to find the chough that was still around and watched it feeding amongst the rabbit warren and looking for grubs under a small piece of gorse stick.

A raven also posed for photos in one of the lower fields and was a treat to see this close.

Raven

 

Chough

Chough

A Majestic Swan

Mute Swan

 

Living here in Wadebridge we have a close association with the swans that live on the River Camel which flows through our town.

So what a pleasure it is to see them looking majestic at the start of the breeding season and ready to take on all comers.

They've already started nest building in Walmsley sanctuary but not yet on the island in the centre of the town bridge...watch this space though as I guess they won't be long before starting!

Mute Swan