Swimming lessons

It is seldom that a walk at the estuary fails to deliver something interesting going on.

This morning I watched two pied stilts supervising two chicks swimming  close by the shore. They swam out to a piece of seaweed and stood on that to rest as they were out of their depth.

The parents became aware of me and became agitated, flying around squawking loudly. I don't know what the signal was but the two chicks suddenly launched into the water and started swimming away from the shore, heading towards the other side of the estuary, accompanied by the wheeling, shouting parents circling overhead.

My heart was in my mouth for those two little chicks. They were well protected from above by the adults but what about the dangers from below? I had seen eels here and a shag diving a short time before.

I watched for as long as I could see them before they disappeared amongst the waves. I just hope they made to the other side safely.