More Young

A short walk around the lakes again this morning revealed still more youngsters.  First to catch our eyes was the Great Crested Grebe nest on the largest lake.  I think it is the second nest this pair have built this year - the first having seemingly been abandoned a few weeks ago.  This time, the nest has been constructed, floating a few feet away from the bank of the lake and is attached to weed so it moves about with the changing water levels.  It seems that the eggs have started to hatch as at least one youngster was seen on it's mother's back while the male brought in small morsels of food for it.  Try as I might, I couldn't get a picture of the actual chick, but there's still time.

The male bird was being kept very busy, swimming about with his head under the water searching out food for it's chick.  What a delightful sight!

On to the next lake and a family of three Coot chicks were being rather vocal in their demand for food from their parents.

Looking like small, red-headed alien life-forms, they would be well advised not to put too many demands on their parents as they are notoriously bad-tempered towards their chicks and may attack and kill them if 'things get too much' for them.  But for now at least, things were calm and relaxed.

Lastly for today and at the same spot where the Coots were feeding, a harsh cry was heard coming from the nearby reeds.  Closer inspection revealed a young Moorhen with it's parent hiding in the vegetation.  A little older and bigger than it's Coot cousins, this little chap (or chap-ess) was keeping it's head down, but not it's voice.