Attentive Parents

I think I've taken a shot of this mating pair of swans every year I've been blipping. They know me well now and came across to come say hello as soon as they saw me on the opposite side of the canal bank. It wasn't long ago that last year's juvenile was still swimming with them and now another two have come along to make the same journey to independence. They have a very well defined patch. I'd love to know where their offspring have ended up - and if they've found their own partners.

I love seeing their attentiveness to their babies. It's hard to imagine that by the end of the summer they won't be far off being the same size as their parents. They grow astonishingly fast.

When I left the office at lunchtime I got quite a shock. The air was warm. There was no chill at all in the breeze. I'd forgotten what that felt like! There have been some pretences at being a summer's day but this was the first where the temperature managed to creep above twenty degrees and truly feel like a summer's day. Finally! Unfortunately, the forecast for the weekend remains cold, wet and miserable.