Caen Hill (Thursday 10th May 2018)

The wait is over and the Caen Hill swans have finally hatched their cygnets. Last year they had three clutches before they had success but this year the first clutch hatched a few days ago. There was a special announcement on the CRT's Facebook page, naming the mother as Backside. This is not the name I would have chosen for her, but presumably inspired by her penchant for upending herself to graze for food at the bottom of the canal. The pair now have six healthy cygnets (one cold egg remains in the nest - see Extra).

I went over especially to see the cygnets this afternoon and was delighted to finally meet up with Number 147, husband and spaniel, natives of Devizes, having tipped her off that I might be there just before I drove off.

Did you spot the moorhen hiding in the reeds?

L.
10.5.2018 (2050 hr)
Blip #2646 (#2396 + 250 archived blips taken 27.8.60-18.3.10)
Consecutive Blip #030
Blips/Extras In 2019 #089/265 + #32/100 Extras)
Day #2970 (579 gaps from 26.3.10)
LOTD #1790 (#1631 + 159 in archived blips)

Swan series
Caen Hill series
Canals series
Kennet and Avon Canal series

Taken with Pentax K-5 and Sigma AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro

Caen Hill, 10 May 2018 (Flickr album)(Work in progress)

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
The Who - Baby don't you do it (recorded live, 13 December 1971, San Francisco Civic CA)
Rather like yesterday's Cat's Squirrel, Baby Don't You Do It was a song popularly recorded by many artists including the R&B groups of the sixties beat boom. Written by Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier at Motown it was first recorded by Marvin Gaye in 1964 and other Motown Artists the Isley Brothers, Barbara Randolph and Stevie Wonder. The Who had it in their live set almost at once, as did the Small Faces and Scottish band The Poets. A few years later The Band also recorded it, as did Humble Pie. The Black Crowes still include it in their set.
The Who were still playing it in their set in 1971, and this version was on the B-side of Join Together. I heard it for the first time today on their Maximum As and Bs box set.

One year ago:
Foxhangers