Ducklings, Cootlings & Henlings

Swanbourne Lake provided a surprising walk. We went for an afternoon feeding the water fowl and ended by walking round the lake. It was an interesting woodland walk, with chalk slopes carpeted in Hart’s Tongue Ferns. The far end of the lake is covered by lilies, and the whole lake is rich in wildfowl. I have never seen so many coots, which are very aggressive towards the ducks, but the fiercest was a Sheld-duck who took off in hot pursuit of a gull. Young coots squawked for food, ducklings tucked into the bird feed, and moorhen chicks followed their mum around.