Another beautiful day in Sussex, and it began out in the local fields. The sheep were grazing, but it was the flash of yellowhammers that caught my eye as they perched among the spring blossom.
But this post isn't about field birds, or about adult birds, it's about the young of the flock. The moorhens are interesting. The adult has been building a new nest about 10 yards along the bank from the hatching nest. A two-home family (the chicks were still using the old one). She started it yesterday, and by this morning it was more or less complete.
Building work done, she had time to look after her brood.
Whoops!
Try again 🙂
I hadn't seen the ducklings for a while, but they were around today and they've grown. They almost look like little ducks now. Still cute though. 
The big surprise though was an entirely new family of youngsters on the pond. Greylag goslings 😀
This post is rapidly getting out of hand, so before I add too many more photos I think I had best call it a night. After all, there's more than an outside chance that I'll get more pictures tomorrow. I'll close with one more moorhen chick, getting adventurous!
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
RobinL
21 Apr 2011Words, what a great series of shots! I love them all.
Momma Greylag certainly looks proud as punch!
anonymous
21 Apr 2011Anonymous writes:
Little duckers! So cute! I have never seen a moorhen chick, though~ what a fluffy creature 🙂
anonymous
21 Apr 2011Anonymous writes:
Awwww. Those goslings are adorable!!
Marilyn
gdare
21 Apr 2011Proud moms!!! 😀
Words
22 Apr 2011Darko, and so they should be 😀
Words
22 Apr 2011Anon, thanks! The moorhen chicks are quite bizarre in their own way.
Words
22 Apr 2011Robin, she certainly does look proud with her head held high like that. And rightly so! The goslings are a delight.
Words
22 Apr 2011Erwin, yes spring is a good time of year (and this year we even have sunshine to go with it).
Words
22 Apr 2011Marilyn, thanks. I have to agree with you!
cakkleberrylane
23 Apr 2011The last photo is precious! Just a fluff ball with a beak!
SittingFox
23 Apr 2011Wow, what a lot of little birds! :eyes: 😀 :awww:
That last moorhen looks like a sheep that needs shearing :eyes:
Words
23 Apr 2011Adele, this is the first year I've really focused on Falmer Pond, but it's proving a delight. The moorhen chicks really are the tattiest of creatures. It's hard to credit how sleek their plumage becomes in time.
Words
23 Apr 2011Lois, it looks rather like something a nursery age 'craft' class might make out of cottonwool, paint and a few twigs.
Mickeyjoe-Irl
26 Apr 2011:eyes: Would you look at the size of the moorhen chick's feet.
Words
29 Apr 2011They're slowly growing in to their feet, but I've realized that they look quite so odd because of the contrast with their head which is relatively small for a young animal.
Wulpen
19 Oct 2012A very nice shots of spring live…..:up: