Morning at Watermead - 13 June 2011

A morning visit to Watermead Park and the birds were a bit more active than they have been in the afternoons.

Beside one of the picnic areas on the lake near Worcester crescent, a Coot was chastising her fledgling.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/3200 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

 I don't know what it had done, maybe become a rebellious teenager (a Kevin for those who follow Harry Enfield).

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/3200 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

I know it looks like she's drowning it, but the young one was happily feeding a few moments later.

Then I was distracted by a disturbance at the far end of the lake, near Moorhen Marsh. A dog had run down to the water for a swim and scared a whole lot of Canada Geese into the water. Unfortunately for them, a belligerent swan then attacked them and put them into the air.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/1328 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

I could only get a few of them in the lens, but that one swan harassed all of them until they flew into another lake.

I was nearly back at the car-park when I spotted a pair of Great Crested Grebe making a nest. I looked away for a few seconds as a Heron flew over and when I looked back, the grebe had laid an egg.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/320 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

I'll have to watch them for a few weeks see if they manage to hatch it, I think they are inexperienced parents because they left the egg several times for several minutes at a time.

When I returned to the car, this squirrel was sitting on a nearby fence post.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/200 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

It ignored Skipper and didn't move until I clicked the remote and all the doors unlocked, then it scampered up a nearby tree.

In the Afternoon I went to Kelham Bridge but I haven't processed the pictures yet so will post that tomorrow.