Day out by the canalside

Yesterday I took a surprise trip out of town to walk by a canal, I spent most of the day opening lock gates, walking and feeding an entire loaf of bread to the inhabitants of the river.
If I'd had the foresight to pack the camera I could now share with you the pictures of the duck and ducklings, strange chinese duck bird thing, and the moor hens, their five babies and imposter moor hen wannabe.
As it is I can only share the stories with you, with photos stolen from google.



These cute little babies were cared for by two moorhens. Both parents would dive around grabbing as much bread as possible before taking it back to the chicks and feeding them. It was just adorable. Another bird, which looked nothing like a moorhen, had made itself part of the family. The baby moorhens were confused by this "other mother" and kept following her to be met by the daddy moorhen screeching them to come back. The "other mother" also fed the babies...and even tried to act like a baby and get fed. The poor parent moorhens seemed to be very confused by it but also happy to let it live with them. We can't be sure if it was a "cuckoo in the nest" and perhaps hatched with the moorhens, it's three times the size of the babies so not too surprising that they are confused.



Along the canal were signs declaring "Beware of Stocky the swan, it's nesting season and he is very protective of mrs. swan." Too right he was, acting all friendly until you bend down and then HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS and he's trying to take your hand-off. I cleverly, positioned other walkers between me and "Stocky" whenever I had to pass him, hehe cannon swan fodder.

So that was my long and exhausting day, I came back with feathers braided into my hair, forgot they were there (I brought them home for the kittehs) and went shopping in town with them still in, I wondered why I received so many weird looks. Once I'd remembered the feathers, my dear Kitalpha was in ecstasy rolling around, feathers clamped between her paws, sniffing and gnawing at them while purring like an engine, so that's so worth it.