A drizzly visit to Swan Lake

It's autumn so the weather's bound to be changeable. 

One day of sunshine, the next of rain. 

We happened to be out and about, passing Swan Lake, near Ilkeston, and, as the car park was almost empty, decided to stop for a short walk, despite the drizzle.

Ducks are reputed to not care about rain on their backs - well, a lot of them were sheltering under trees to keep dry. The swans weren't so easily put off, and followed us round the pond hoping for food. There were so many of them on this visit - I counted 29,  plus the usual array of geese, ducks, coots, and seagulls. It's as if the younger swans never move away but just hang around their 'home pond' where they know food (from softer-hearted visitors than me) is in good supply

 

30 Days Wild - week 2

It's been an exciting sort of wild week - from garden visitors to wild thundery weather.

The week started quietly with watching bees in the garden - favourite flowers appear to be cotoneaster that covers the side of the garage, perennial geraniums of all colours, foxgloves, and flowers on the sage plants. It turns out they're not interested in scented flowers such as roses and sweet peas, though I know they love lavender (which will flower soon).

Tuesday was busy with unusual garden visitors. First I was astounded to see a squirrel running about on the patio, barely a socially distanced two metres from where I was sitting inside. They often run along the back fence, and I assume they raid the bird feeders at times but I've never seen one approach this close to the house. Then it appeared again in the afternoon! Meanwhile in the compost heap, a mouse was busy finding dinner. Although they're fairly regular visitors, I haven't seen one for a while, so was quite startled - so was the mouse. In future I'll lift the bin lid off slowly.

On dry days the bird bath has been busy with visitors - mainly robins, pigeons, blackbirds, but occasionally goldfinches, sparrows and blue tits turn up.
Larger birds have been squabbling in the front garden rowan and along the road - crows, blackbirds, possibly a magpie (they're generally the trouble-starters) - and a pair of pigeons have been trying to nest there - they seem to have very little idea about nest-building, and the one in the back garden has fallen out of the tree a couple of times.

The highlight of the week though was seeing goslings at Locko Park. I'd gone there just for some open countryside and although I knew geese lived there, hadn't expected the huge families swimming round the lake. Most of the youngsters (Pinkfoots possibly) were being safety corralled in the middle of the lake but the Canada geese with older goslings were on the banks

Back to Locko

Locko was the last place we went out to before lockdown, so it really ought to have been the first we returned to, but as it was, last weekend we went to Shipley, as there's more space there to avoid others if it's busy, so it was only Saturday evening that we went back to Locko.

It's a good place to visit at the moment - not far from home, the 'footpath' is a good wide road to the hall, there's a huge open area by the lake if anyone wants to sit and picnic, and there's little car parking so not many people visit.

We'd only intended to walk down to the lake but the evening was so nice that we carried on a little way, following a footpath up to a wood where there are lovely views back over the park, then through the trees, listening to the birdsong around us, before re-tracing our steps.

As with the trip to Shipley, it was lovely to get out, away from houses and traffic, to see no one other than a few walkers, to walk under trees, and even to see cows grazing in the distance.

The highlight though was seeing the numerous goslings, mostly out on the lake accompanied by watchful parents, though the Canada geese were braver (and their goslings a little older) and had taken up a spot on the grassy bank.

Not Going Far

 I follow a lot of social media accounts belonging to people who spend every weekend nipping up mountains, or enjoying a rather long walk along a long-distance footpath. They're all younger and more energetic than I am. My adventures are always on the small side by comparison, but really it isn't necessary to travel miles or slog through mud to enjoy the outdoors.

Last week I was babysitting my grandson, and we went out for a stroll to see the ducks at the local pond. It's hardly a ten minute walk but he fell asleep in his buggy almost immediately. I still got to discover this delightful little spot though.











It's 'hidden' just off the main access road into the Compton Acres estate in West Bridgford, and is almost surrounded by housing, but sitting on one of the convenient seats it feels like being out in the countryside.




 No swans here but there are ducks, coots, and canada geese swimming happily around, pigeons perching in the trees looking somehow more exotic than they ought to, and daffodils waiting to burst into flower on the banks.
It proves my theory that it isn't hard to incorporate a little 'outdoors' into everyday life. I feel that this kind of mini-escape is as important for us as a full day out in the countryside, and if I lived nearer I'd visit all the time.

And, to prove the accessibility of beauty where-ever you happen to be - here's the sunset on our way home that evening, seen from (the passenger seat of) the car, heading west on the A453 with Ratcliffe on Soar power station in the distance.

Swan Lake in the sunshine

We've had some rather wonderful sunny evenings recently - always a good reason to get out for a short walk.












This particular one took us to Swan Lake again.

There's always something (or someone) new to spot. This time the heron was back, perched in the centre of the pond, and not fraternising with the ducks, geese and swans.

30 Days Wild - week three

15th - I should have been at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Wildside Festival today but last week's rain caused it to be cancelled. The day started oddly with trouble in the garden - a crow perched in a birch tree, eyeing up the pigeons' nest hidden within the leaves. Not something I've seen before, and so far it hasn't returned.







In the evening after the rain stopped, we went to the nature reserve at Swan Lake. The usual wildfowl were there including 24 swans, and a small family of geese protected by two Canada geese and a white 'farmyard' goose. A lot of wildflowers around at the moment - irises, dog roses, clover and vetch.

 16th The rain stopped long enough for a sparrow to take a splash in the bird bath, and for water droplets to be visible on leaves rather than everything being one hug wet mess




















17th - a walk to the not-so-wild wood near where I live. It used to be wilder but volunteers have been 'tidying' it - cutting back undergrowth to make it appear safer for walkers, then laying those cuttings alongside the paths to stop anyone exploring the off-path areas of the wood (a shame as in Spring there are wood anemones and masses of bluebells, which can't be seen from the path)

18th - we were out at Ashford in the Water to see the well-dressings, and spotted these ducklings by the river.

19th - an indoorsy sort of day, brightened by a fiery sunset

20th - the 'wild' found its way into the garden, with the return of a regular visitor - a mouse who visits my compost bin. No photos as s/he moves too quickly.

Out later to catch the sunset, though a bank of cloud got in the way. Found a white dog rose growing in a hedge, and tracks of a strange animal in dried mud (OK, they were dog footprints, but they could have been made by something exciting)

 21st - a wild sky not long before midnight, so light the sun barely seemed to have set