Bad Tempered or Good Parent?

 

I visited Martin Mere twice in March and in the resident collection of birds from around the world there is a pair of Coscoroba Swans, a species native to South America. It is the smallest variety of swan although is larger than most geese, and I think it is a very good looking bird. The female was (as you can see) on the nest, and the male was dutifully patrolling the perimeter warding off any potential threats. He was quite aggressive and I definitely didn't want to get too close. He seemed quite grumpy and bad tempered but I guess you could argue that he was taking his role very seriously and doing his best to protect his future family.

Although unrelated I have included an extra image below, this time of a Moorhen also sat on its nest. It is that time of year and I look forward to seeing lots of new life as spring really gets under way. 

On a different note I wanted to say thank you for taking the time top view this blog. Even though I haven't actually posted anything since 24th January it is really gratifying to see that the blog is generating some traffic. Here are a few stats: In February there were 11,470 visits, in the past week there were 7,480 visits and in the last two days alone there have been 941 visits. I am really happy with that and hopefully this will continue. I don't make any money from this site, it is purely about sharing images that I have taken. So thanks again for stopping by.

Cliff Hangers

In stark contrast to the bright colours of my posts of the past two days I have gone for these black and white images showing off the geology of Wales' Cardigan Bay coastal cliffs. 

Seen from a boat in the bay it is possible to see the many different layers that form the cliffs and the undulating patterns which clearly show the upheaval over time. The different layers provide excellent nesting sites for the Guillemots and Kittiwakes that have made their temporary homes here facing out to sea. On a day like this when the sun was shining and there was hardly any breeze t doesn't seem like too bad a spot but when the wind and rain lashes in off the Irish Sea I am sure it is a lot more challenging spot to raise a family.