Tales of the river bank.

Not quite Ratty & Mole but more a tale of the canal bank. Took a walk along the Shropshire Union Canal one evening during the week as tow path overlooks Gowy Water Meadows and it's a good place for picking up raptors. No Ospreys or anything else unusual but two very pale Buzzards - one of which can often be seen hovering alongside the nearby M56 giving rise to previous heart stopping thoughts of Rough-legged Buzzard!

A beautiful warm spring evenign had the Skylarks & Yellowhammers singing whilst Lapwings chased off any potential predator that encroached in their territories. With the canal being frozen for much of the winter it was nice to see the Kingfisher back!

The resident Cob Mute Swan took exception to Molly strolling along midning her own business. The female of this pair is colour ringed with a green darvic ring numbered CS06 and enquiries through the Cheshire Swan ringing group reveals she was ringed on 29/08/06 age unknown (so presumed adult) a couple of kilometres away.

Molly, being well used to his aggression, didn't take the slightest bit of notice being more interested in rooting through the empty food wrappers left by the so called custodians of the canal bank who spend ages drowning maggots on the end of hooks. Plenty of other birds singing but very few warblers as yet.
Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Linnets all present and holding territory.