Chick...Check!

Despite the continuing poor weather, which is making it feel more like March than May, there are quite a lot of baby birds about at the moment.  A few days ago, we encountered a family of Mute Swans which had got themselves into the old Nutbrook Canal.

Looking down on them from one of the old bridges which cross the canal, it was rather too dark to take good photos, but these cygnets were just crying out to be photographed.

Soon, they were off (as were we) as their parents took them away, under the bridge.

Yesterday, we found several family groups of Coots. This family were at 'Swan Lake'.

Coot chicks are famously curious to look at (some would say rather ugly) and these little charmers certainly had the appearance of alien life forms.

Despite their young age, they were quite confident as they picked around the shallows waiting for their parents to supply food. One individual looked as if he didn't want to get his bottom wet, preferring to stand tall as he waded about.