The pond is proving ever more fascinating. As well as the recent arrival of the goslings, there are yet more young water fowl emerging. Just as the first clutch of ducklings begin to transform into young ducks, so a new brood has appeared.
The proudest family on the pond remain the greylag geese. If anyone approaches too closely they hiss out a warning, none more so than this elegant white goose which seems to have adopted the role of guardian to the family. It's a domesticated variant of the greylag (which themselves are feral domesticated geese). Genuinely wild greylags are restricted to Scotland. 
Just a couple of shots of the moorhen chicks, once again snatched between overhanging branches. I've yet to see the chicks more than a few feet away from the bank (and they seem to spend most of the time underneath the overhang, completely out of sight).
I promised a video in the title, but before that I want to record a relatively rare local sighting of a red kite. It flew over to the north of the pond. This is a 100% crop (it was little more than a dot in the distance, but distinctive for all that).
HD link
Camera note: all photos and video taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
cakkleberrylane
24 Apr 2011Oh how sweet – seeing the parents in front and behind the babies. The moorehen chicks are getting very good at slipping into the water. Loved the last shot especially!
gdare
24 Apr 2011What Adele said, they are all fluf and legs :awww:
Words
26 Apr 2011Lois, the geese are so 'proper' about how they organize the young ones. They really do know what they are doing, and shepherd them about the pond, ever watchful. The moorhens are altogether more chaotic, which is probably why they hide away so much.
Words
26 Apr 2011Erwin, thanks!
Words
26 Apr 2011Darko, the moorhens are indeed fluff and legs. It always surprises me that they stay the right way up when they get in the water!
SittingFox
26 Apr 2011Originally posted by Words:
They seem very improbable, but survive they do!
Congrats on the kite! 😀 :yes:
Mickeyjoe-Irl
26 Apr 2011I don't know how they keep from tripping over those feet.
Words
29 Apr 2011Mick, somehow they manage to avoid tripping up, but I wonder if they ever stub their toes. 😀
Words
29 Apr 2011Adele, the moorhen chicks have taken to running in the past couple of days. There's an overhang which they scuttle along, but when they come to the break (and risk being seen) they pause until they think it safe and then make a mad dash across the gap. So those feet are being put to good use.
Kites are always good to see, but I would love to find an area where they come in close. I'm sure it will happen in time.
Mickeyjoe-Irl
30 Apr 2011And that is a lot of toe to stub. :yikes:
😆
Words
2 May 2011Indeed 😀
Wulpen
19 Oct 2012Beautiful