Young Generation

Back down to the duckpond after work, this time armed with bread to try and tame the ducklings a little. If I'd known the havoc it was going to cause, I'd probably have left the loaf at home.

The bread caused carnage between the ducks, ducklings and geese (who actually didn't seem hungry, but evidently wanted to throw their weight around a bit). Everything was pecking at everything else, and with me crawling around in the middle of it all camera in hand, there was plenty to give the assembled onlookers a good chortle.

Further problems arose when the cygnets hopped out of the water and filed into the fray. Ducklings are no problem to be around, as the most their parents will do by way of aggression is aimlessly quack at you. But swans will gleefully and severely fuck you up for going anywhere near their offspring, a point reinforced when the adult pair escorted their brood onto land, snapping at every other bird in their path.

Lying on the ground surrounded by breadcrumbs, I was the natural focal point for this pale entourage, and was thus treated to the cygnets finishing all of my bread while mummy and daddy stood over me hissing, snarling and flapping their wings. For all intents and purposes, I was mugged by swans.

Still, having my camera on my hand meant all was not lost. Wait till I get this picture to the police; they won't put up with this kind of anti-social behaviour from the youth of today.