Coot

coot
Coot by the war memorial at Newmillerdam this morning.

At Newmillerdam most of the black-headed gulls now have their chocolate brown masks but they all seem remarkably laid back this morning with no noisy disputes. Soon they’ll be gathering at their nesting colony at St Aidan’s.

Another reason for it seeming so peaceful is that there are no Canada geese around. Last week I saw a flock of more than a hundred by the canal opposite the Strands and a similar flock on the Wyke.

By the outlet at Newmillerdam a lone coot was diving for freshwater mussels. In the few minutes as we passed by it apparently finished feeding on one and then dived for another. The mussel was the size of a small grape.

Squirrel Baffle

squirrel sketches

Rainy, grey skies, a wind from the north, so it doesn’t feel like the first day of meteorological spring.

8.30 a.m.: A grey squirrel bounds across the lawn.

It soon realises that it can’t climb around the baffle on the bird feeder post.

It climbs into the hawthorn hedge and you can see it weighing up the possibilities. No, not worth it. It scampers off across next door’s lawn.