Eighteen Geese A Swimming

Whilst I was walking into town, I saw a few people leaning over the bridge looking at something.  Of course that stirred my interest. Has someone fallen in the water? Is there a yacht waiting to use the lock gates? Or was there some filming going on?

Sadly in a way it was none of those, but something just as interesting to see; a pair of Canada geese with their young were wanting to swim a bit further up the canal, but they were being prevented by the locked gates.

As I had some errands to run, I didn't stay to see how they managed to continue with their journey, or whether they went back the way they came.

The Dinky Dozen

Today is apparently Earth Day, a celebration of the planet that we all live on.  The sad thing is that most people don't think much of it the other 364 days.

Seas are polluted; the rain forests are being cut down at a rate of knots; practically every day flora and fauna are in danger of becoming extinct.  Poaching, animal abuse, the list goes on. It makes me so sad. So I was really happy to see this proud mother duck and her 12 little babies learning to swim in the canal, as I cycled by.

I stopped to take some photos, but she must have known, as she got her brood together and swam off in the other direction. So I followed and tried to overtake her, but she stopped and then went the other way. I got this as she headed off to safety.

This entry also celebrates my 2800th post. Phew!

Riverside Retreat

Mr and Mrs Duck enjoying some late afternoon sunshine down by the riverside. Well in this case, the canalside.

They are actually watching their little babies, as they get used to swimming in the water.