Hang your head in shame!

Last week, I was witness to quite a disturbance on Tooting Common pond.

The ducks and the geese (with their goosles) were out of the pond, all peacefully minding their own. Suddenly a coot appeared on the scene, next thing huge commotion - birds going in every direction! Then the heavy weight swans waded in. Feather up in a huge arch and shuffling all the birds around.

Sadly, the goosles were separated from Mum and Dad. Ive never heard a goose make as much noise as mother goose did as she desperately tried to get her babies back. The swan nipped at them, Dad dived at them.

I haven't been back since then, and I was hoping all the goosles would have survived that disturbance. Luckily, they all did. But I found this swan and its mate still harrassing the poor geese who were cowering up on the bank here.

They eventually swam off - I hope they felt utterly ashamed!