Friday, May 20, 2016

Five on Friday

It's Friday so once again I'm joining in with  Amy at Love Made my Home for this week's Five on Friday. 

Yesterday morning we went for a walk around the lake before the rain set in so all my photos are lakeside related.  It's the time of year for new life with baby birds being fed by their parents and new growth on the trees and shrubs. 
Below are some signs of new life spotted as we walked.

1.  Ducklings - Mallard ducklings with  their mum.
2.  Goslings - Canada Goose gosling with one of its parents.

3.  Young Coots - not sure what young coots are called other than chicks so I'll call them 'cootlings.'  Looks like the whole family are here.

4. Cygnets - this swan had six cygnets.


5. Starlings - meanwhile back home there are loads of Starlings and their young in the garden.  They are very amusing to watch as the baby starlings just sit with their beaks wide open and parents scurry around trying to find food to satisfy them.

Click on the link below to find other bloggers who are joining in with 


Have a lovely weekend everyone.

60 comments:

  1. What a lovely collection Rosie. We have a pair of pigeons busy nesting in our holly tree at the moment so it will be interesting to see their young when they emerge. Have a lovely weekend. B x

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    1. We have had to put stickers on our large window at the back as the pigeon squabs kept flying into it. I hope you see some young ones soon. The pigeons round here wake us up quite early with their cooing at the moment:)

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  2. Your bird photos are amazing Rosie! And the birds are so difficult to photograph... I have tried with not much success :)
    Have a happy weekend!

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    1. Thanks Ritta, the garden birds are harder to photograph than the water birds but it can take ages to capture a suitable image:)

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  3. What a cute collection. I don't know what baby coots are called either - but they're bound to have some sort of country name. I think I like the mallard chicks best though.

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    1. I must look up the name for baby coots, there is sure to be an old folk lore one same as for a group of them together. The mallard ducklings are sweet aren't they?:)

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  4. Ah it looks like a lovely walk and your pictures are lovely. The little Mallard chicks are so very cute, it is great seeing all the baby creatures at the moment, very spring like! Have a lovely weekend xx

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    1. It was a lovely walk. We didn't see any young birds at first then all of a sudden we saw them all in a short stretch of the lakeside:)

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  5. I especially love the first photo Rosie, great 5

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    1. Thaks, the first one is my favourite too:)

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  6. Cootlings - that's what I'm going to call them from now on. It's nice to see fluffy new life. I'm hoping to find a few fluff balls on nearby ponds this weekend. Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. The little ducks do look like balls of fluff don't they? So tiny and fragile but so lovely to see:)

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  7. Nice photos, always enjoy seeing baby birds. The cygnets are so cute.

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    1. Thanks, Janet, I'm assuming it is Mum with the cygnets, she looks so proud of them:)

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  8. It is lovely seeing all the young birds. They're so sweet. I don't see young starlings where I am now, but I do remember all the squawking when they first fledged. The garden would be full of noise overnight.

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    1. Oh, yes, the starlings do make quite a racket don't they? They all come in gangs too. The only birds that they don't seem to bother are the wood pigeons:)

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  9. I haven't been near a local pond, stream or reservoir lately. I'm sure there'll be lots of new life by the water. Lovely photos of the baby birds down by the lake and in your garden. Lots of activity in ours as small birds dive into and out of our thick hedges. What they're actually doing in there is a mystery, but amusing to watch.

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    1. When we walk around the garden we can hear the birds in the hedges twittering away as if they are in a meeting of some kind. Then they come swooping out in bunches. It is a lovely time of year to see the young water birds, I always worry about them though as they have quite a few predators:)

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  10. What a beautiful collection of photos of baby birds and their parents. I have been watching a swan nest but unfortunately she has been attacked by a fox, that has also destroyed her four eggs. Maybe she'll try again later this spring. Have a nice weekend.

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    1. Oh, no what a shame about the swan's eggs. I wonder if they will try again or if that is it for this year? Nature can be cruel at times can't it?:)

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  11. Lovely to see all the young birds and sounds a great lake to walk round. Starlings these days are pretty rare in our garden but there have been a couple around more regularly recently so am hoping to see some young here too :) Have a good weekend.

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    1. It is a lovely lake to visit often, we do have to buy a yearly pass though. We have loads of starlings descend on the garden each day. They do take everything in sight though and the poor sparrows get a bit exasperated with them. Hope you get some young ones in your garden:)

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  12. I was enthralled by your enchanting five, such great photos. We have loads of starlings locally too.

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    1. Thank you. I've just watch one adult starling feeding five young ones. One at a time and not feeding the same one twice:)

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  13. It is always so exciting to see birds with their babies isn't it! I love watching ducks with a row of ducklings behind them as if they are towing them along, or the same with a swan and cygnets. They are adorable aren't they! Thank you for taking part in Five On Friday, I hope you have a good weekend!

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    1. Thanks Amy, we've seen grown men in cars stop and queue to let ducks or swans cross the road with young behind them. They do live precarious lives though don't they?:)

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  14. I call them cootlings too! Lovely photos.

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    1. Thanks, Louise. I think it suits them very well don't you?:)

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  15. Beautiful birds of all kinds! Loved learning about Coots, as I'm not familiar with them.

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    1. Thanks, We have noticed that over the last few years there seems to be many more coots around than there used to be:)

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  16. How lovely Rosie. We have seen some chicks in our neighbourhood, but didn't have a camera on us at the time. Great photos. Gave a good weekend. Marie x

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    1. I nearly didn't take my camera Marie, I'm glad I did as we saw quite a few little birds:)

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  17. The birds are all so beautiful and the little ones so precious to see. Glad you enjoyed your walk.
    Meredith

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    1. It is lovely to see all the new life around the lake:)

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  18. What wonderful pictures of the birds with their young. It's so nice to see them around - it reminds us of the circle of life and the new beginnings of spring.

    Have a great week

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    1. Thanks, Sharon! It is a wonderful time of year isn't it?:)

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  19. Oh, they are all so sweet. It's a wonderful thing to witness new life.

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    1. Thank you Tammy, it's a wonderful time of year isn't it?:)

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  20. These pics are so good they could be in a wildlife book. I especially like the first one and the starling one.

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    1. Thank you Wendy, glad you enjoyed the photos:)

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  21. Oh so cute! Love the 'cootlings' name, and the cootlongs are very sweet too :)

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    1. Yes, the 'cootings' are very cute aren't they?:)

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  22. I love all the baby birds especially the photo of the swan and her cygnets. Are they moorhens next to the coots with their red beaks? That is certainly a very productive lake! Hope you are having a great weekend Rosie. x

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    1. They are baby coots, Simone the little ones are always red about the face and head. It was lovely to see all the young birds:)

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  23. Oh what a walk! All those feathery babies, gorgeous!

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    1. It was rather special to see all the feathery fluffiness and they are gorgeous:)

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  24. Oh, what wonderful photos of your bird sightings. Makes my heart sing.

    Thanks so much for sharing with us, Rosie! Happy weekend...Bren :)

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    1. Thanks, Bren glad you enjoyed the photos:)

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  25. These are lovely photos - I must confess that in the first one I thought that Mrs Mallard looked as though she was wearing a little raincoat - obviously my eyesight is not all it might be:)

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    1. Ha, yes - she would have needed one today as it is so wet here - even for ducks:)

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  26. Hi Rosie, your pictures are so beautiful! The ducks and the birds are gorgeous! !

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    1. Thanks, Sandra. Glad you liked the photos:)

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  27. This is a great collection of mamas and babies - the feathers on the little ones look so soft.

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    1. Thanks, Lorrie. The littlest ones look like little balls of cotton wool don't they?:)

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  28. Beautiful new life captured. I have been watching two baby blackbirds running their parents ragged in my garden. It's a busy time :) Have a lovely Sunday xx

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    1. Thanks Chel, we have blackbirds in the garden but haven't seen any young ones yet. Just the greedy starlings:)

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  29. This time of the year is a joy isn't it, I love to see all the signs of new life emerging. On our local nature reserve the cygnets have hatched and also some young coots, moorhens and ducklings. I have to say that the baby coots are quite ugly though! xx

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    1. The cootlings aren't the prettiest of the young birds are they? I agree it is a joyful time of year:)

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  30. How heartwarming to see all these families. What a wonderful time of year. :-)

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    1. It is a lovely time of year isn't it?:)

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