A word in your ear

It's a long story ......

The crow landed on the sheep several times before hopping up its spine to stand on the neck. Then leaning forward it gently pecked at the top of its head. A further return visit lead to it gingerly sliding down the sheep's shoulder and inserting its beak into its ear. 

I presume the crow has an arrangement with the sheep to eat it's fleas, flies or ticks, as it made no protest whatsoever. It must be a bit like the Cattle egret's relationship with the cows they live on and around. 

I was at Slimbridge having thought the beautiful sunshine and clear blue sky provided a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the Wildlife and Wetland Trust with the chance of seeing lots of migrating birds.

As I walked to the Holden Tower where I took this photo, a lone swan flew flat and low before banking to approach a landing on one of the nearby lakes. I managed a couple of shots and carried on.

More than an hour later on my return to the centre of the site, I opened a gate for an elderly woman. She asked if I had seen the Bewick's swan? I knew immediately the significance of this. 'The first Bewick landed an hour ago!'

She told me where to go to see it from one of the hides. It was obvious which bird she meant as it was preening itself in the shallows of the lake. It also has a distinctive primrose yellow coloured bridge to its beak. Its plumage was very discoloured both yellow and brown, showing the effects of the huge journey from Russia it had just undertaken.

Strangely enough, last year I made a random autumnal season trip to Slimbridge and arrived to be told that 'the first three Bewick's swans had arrived! But I must admit that the crow and the sheep have to be today's blip.

This is last year's blip of the three Bewick's swans just after their arrival.