Avian others

One of the swans was walking on the grass when I arrived and initially I was scared as I could not see the other - but then, there she was, in the water. She soon came out and joined him.

The pair did some neck extension, neck down business - neither of them eating or touching, just sort of moving their necks up and down. Initially the movement wasn't synchronised and I don't know it it became so. Then they walked to the far corner of the pond's enclosure, turned around, and both took off.

They flew nearly over me - whump, whump, whump went their wings.

I wonder if the whole neck business was a kind of process of deciding what they as a pair were going to do next?

And I have no idea where they went. They always seem to be on the water.

The following day, they were not there. i was afraid I had scared them away... but how? I have looked at them before? Instead there were two herons. As soon as I spotted them, they flew away. This was not encouraging.

A day before the first swan visit, I had run down to the wildlife site at Pitsford Reservoir. I had my monocular with me and sneaked in (without a permit) for ten minutes to see what I could see. I think I saw pintails - about six of them - but, judging by the pictures, all were males. I also saw cormorants in their big, twiggy nests. Those birds look too big to nest in trees. And juveniles flying back and forth along the lake. I have no idea why.

My hands got too cold to focus so I ran back up to the car.

No new garden visitors. There's a Mrs Blackbird along with the males and the tits, robins, starlings and fat pigeons. And the dear little dunnocks. I never see sparrows. The goldfinches stay next door. The magpies come occasionally and I still see at least one jay.