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.
16 Comments
Words, what a great series of shots! I love them all.
Momma Greylag certainly looks proud as punch!
Anonymous writes:
Little duckers! So cute! I have never seen a moorhen chick, though~ what a fluffy creature 🙂
Anonymous writes:
Awwww. Those goslings are adorable!!
Marilyn
Proud moms!!! 😀
Darko, and so they should be 😀
Anon, thanks! The moorhen chicks are quite bizarre in their own way.
Robin, she certainly does look proud with her head held high like that. And rightly so! The goslings are a delight.
Erwin, yes spring is a good time of year (and this year we even have sunshine to go with it).
Marilyn, thanks. I have to agree with you!
The last photo is precious! Just a fluff ball with a beak!
Wow, what a lot of little birds! :eyes: 😀 :awww:
That last moorhen looks like a sheep that needs shearing :eyes:
Adele, 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.
Lois, it looks rather like something a nursery age 'craft' class might make out of cottonwool, paint and a few twigs.
:eyes: Would you look at the size of the moorhen chick's feet.
They'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.
A very nice shots of spring live…..:up: