Solo duckling

Didn’t get up in a hurry this morning as I was up late (for me)  watching ‘Cold Play’ at Glastonbury. They were absolutely fabulous, I would almost have liked to be there!

We took a walk across the cricket field, they were preparing for what looked like a junior cricket match, and then up into the St Ives Estate. Took the path through the lower woods skirting Low Park and we were amazed by the profusion of bird song. I’ve only recently got the Merlin app, though Chris has had it a while, and an astonishing list of bird song was identified with the Song Thrush being the most predominant. Didn't see most of them though we did see a Jay whose very distinctive noise wasn’t heard. Great to see all these though it does slow down the walking.

We crossed up into Betty’s Wood, the first wood to be subject to felling due to disease about 7 years ago. Chris likes to see the development of new growth, both planted and incidental. There is certainly a lot, particularly Birches. I used my plant app to identify some others, Pin Cherry for example.

We intended calling in at the Ivy Kitchen for a coffee but they were queuing out of the door, of course we normally walk during the week when it’s less busy but it’s good to know how well the cafe and the whole estate is used at the weekends.
We passed Coppice Pond on our way out of the estate and it was my first opportunity to get a reasonable shot of a duckling as I had my camera with me. There was just one and mum was keeping it close and looking very proud. A couple of weeks ago we saw quite a lot on the early walk being cared for in a ‘crèche’ at the far side of the pond. Hopefully they were elsewhere.

Having missed out at Ivy Kitchen we got a takeaway coffee at Yorkshire Treats in the village. Although it’s only take away you can actually sit out in their yard which we did. Not a brilliant day but dry and not too windy. A nice change for us on a Sunday.

This morning I got the extra picture of Eda who has at last lost one of those increasingly wobbly and distended front teeth. I’d heard yesterday that she was struggling to eat as one was so loose, she’s very pleased and I’m sure the other one will be gone soon and she will start to look a bit less like Bugs Bunny!
Added the extra from last week