Pond reflections

A lovely start to Saturday with an earlyish walk around  St Ives through the lower woods and around Betty’s Wood.  The canopy is now fully out making it much shadier than it was a couple of weeks back and there are lots of Rhododendrons in bloom. More than you notice normally, mainly shades of purple and pink. I know they keep removing them so I was surprised to see so many.
Betty’s Wood seems to be growing well since it’s destruction, with lots of Birch trees coming up in particular. I looked out for Foxgloves as there was a feast of them the year after the diseased trees were cut down but there didn’t seem to be that many coming up. Not many last year either so I thought, being biannual, there might be more to see this year. Will take another look later. As we walked up towards the play area we heard a scuttle in the undergrowth and so did someone else. Momentarily a little head popped up above the wall top, a Stoat?

On to The Ivy Kitchen in time for it opening for coffee. Saw a couple of people to chat to including Yorkshirebred.

The pond was quiet and the swan family were resting in the long grass near the feeding station. Mum decided it as time to move and it was funny watching the cygnets trying to figure out how to get out from behind the fencing, they all made it in the end and she waited for them before setting off across to one on the bays on the far side.
Behind them four Coot chicks were emerging from their nest. So adorably ugly! A bit at the farthest limit of my zoom.

Cricket practice and kiddie football was under way as we returned to the village. After lunch Chris had to attend an ashes internment at church and then we were off again to the top of the village to deliver our quota of Tittle Tattle village news letters.

Quite a full day for a Saturday.

Now having a cuppa in one of our new garden chairs in the shade.
Last years blip was of young Blue Tits in the garden, sad there are non to see this year .

The blip is almost the last photo I took as we left the pond, thought the reflections from the sky and the island Rhodies looked nice.