Babies and springtime

Had another one of those most unexpected treats this afternoon. It emphasised the value of (taking) time again :). Not rushing on to the "next thing". As the time to return to work approaches all too rapidly it was a frustration about "modern" course design and study patterns that was annoying me before I left and no doubt will even more when i get back after recent experiences. Another time perhaps ... an academic theme to develop perhaps.

George & Belinda decided we should head to Salhouse Broad for an excursion today. So after a coffee at Kofra - George's favourite - we arrived a little after noon. Yes, yes, I know it seems a while since Maggie has featured in posts so I will sprinkle updates throughout this post since it is all about cute things! 

Last time I visited Salhouse Broad on my own and managed some photos of a great crested grebe looking very spectacular on her nest ...

I thought I might get lucky and see the hatched young ones. This has been on our mind lately as we shared the photos of the cygnet on the swan mother's back at Devizers when we were in the south west. In addition, since we have been back at the Dairy, the fields are alive with rabbit kittens - you have seen plenty of pictures of them already - and goslings for greylag and canadian geese and little water hens. I will show you later in this post. So, a chance to see if the great crested grebe nesting had been successful was welcome :).

Salhouse Broad

First thing we saw on the broad was some mallard ducklings swimming around and literally jumping out of the water catching bugs and flys where they were swimming. Very cool ... and later I spotted a couple on return in the reeds near the boardwalk :).

Then slightly further along the boardwalk I came across a couple of great crested grebes sticking very close together BUT the nest was nowhere to be seen. I was excited to see this pair sticking so close so took some shots and was content with that (see one below) and it alleviated the disappointment of no nest ... and moved around to the main section of the broad.

Not quite a "cute baby" of any kind, BUT a grand old thing of beauty none the less emerged from the river into the broad ... a wherry (very few of them still active) and so I have included a shot under sail and at anchor with the sail hauled down. Quite beautiful really :).

 

Then, perhaps not surprisingly there was another brood of mallard ducklings bobbing around after mum and being very willing participants in feeding by loads of kids enjoying Sunday afternoon at the broad (not shown in the picture below).

So, what about my carry on at the beginning about time? After a further relaxing wander around the broad and nearby fields, we all meandered back to the cars ready to head back to Norwich. On the way, Maggie (damn grumpas!) Daisy (simply because she was a dog off the leash!) found several nice boggy puddles and enjoyed romping in them. So I was scrolling through some of my photos on the small camera screen with George while Maggie was being washed (George was holding Maggie) and noticed something on the photo of the great crested grebe pair earlier (above the ones of the wherry) ... take a look, another look ... check the right hand one ... carefully ... (because I know you just glanced quickly at it first time when you were reading)!

Just like down at Devizers with the cygnet catching a ride on the back of the swan it looked like there may have been one on the back of the great crested grebe too! I had never seen this before and now, twice in a few weeks :) ... perhaps. How long did it take to wash a muddy Daisy? I decided to take the time and head back to the broad and see if I could find them again and focus on just one of the pair this time!

That nice close up of the pair of mallard ducklings in the reeds (way above) was actually taken on this return trip. I could not see the pair, but there was one great crested grebe a little further across the broad to be seen ... I was LUCKY!! See for yourself ... the sequence is shown below ... you can see the three chicks on the back (as you can above when you know what you are looking at :); then she flapped her wings and dumped them into the water behind her, and then the paddled around for a very short time before allowing them to climb on her back again; I suspect they are not very long hatched at all ... what a(nother) privilege! And I celebrated all the way back to the car that I took the time just to see if I could be so lucky :).

Now, after that, it would be remiss not to show a couple more of Maggie just to try to wrest the balance back to the human race ... first telling Grandma which way she should be going and second enjoying "her" time (no hassling by grown ups) on the cushion on the floor of the Dairy.

Meanwhile back at the Dairy

The geese and water hens and rabbits have been active too!

First the rabbits ... just because you have seen plenty before but this little fella was grazing just over the driveway. Out in the paddocks, walking around is like tramping across a fur rug laying over the grass (almost literally!). They are everywhere ... gives reality to the phrase "breed like rabbits" for sure! So just enjoy this little ONE ...

First we have been trying to catch this gaggle of Canadian geese and goslings for over a week now and this is the best we have been able to manage, but the shot of them resting with one of the parents taking it easy on one leg shows they get around as well as rest - not seen them on the Lakes yet.

Then there are the water hen and their young are even more secretive and I have only very briefly captured them before they headed out of sight :( ...

Next are the greylag geese and there are several groups of these ... one big family and one much smaller family ... but they seem to gather together at various times and I have captured the lot of them in the marching order in the paddock and on the Lakes :) ... enjoy!

And that just leaves us with Maggie taking it easy on my lap, both in our denim jeans but her shoes are way cooler than mine! And because this has been about the wonder of nature (again), here is a recent sunset at the Dairy (I don't think I have added it before, so apologies if you notice I have) ... unlike much earlier ones the tree branches are nowhere to be seen now ... the covers have been drawn :).

What a world we live in.