an other garden no.38: moorhens and their downy young, goal river

an other garden no.26/part two: follow up, nesting swan, goal river

Stories and Histories

Previously I photographed this swan couples nest and seven eggs and I recently went back to check up on them and found that sadly, four weeks after the cygnets hatched, only one remains. Like other species that give birth to several young together, they are vulnerable to many predators. In this area new born cygnets are most likely lost to crows, herons, magpies or pike. The other worrying thing I noticed is that only one member of the swan couple was anywhere to be seen which could explain the loss of so many of their young. Swans mate for life, raising their young together, normally one parent will always be on guard. They also often travel in line with one parent at the back, the other in front, thus the absence of one of the partners suggests they met an untimely death, perhaps in an attempt to protect their young.

an other garden no.33: martins and their cliff side nests

Stories and Histories

Pictured are a group of Crag Martins. Martins and Swallows are Passerine birds and belong to the Hirundiniae family. Passerine birds or Perching Birds account for over half the bird species in the world and are recognised by their backwards facing toe which allows them to clamp their foot to their perch. Martins and Swallows are usually differentiated by their tail shapes; the Martin species tend to have a square shaped tail and Swallow species a forked tail. The Hirundiniae family is known for its ability to feed while in flight as a result of their slender streamlined body and pointed wings; ideal for gliding. The Crag Martins pictured appear to have built their nest in cavities on the cliff surface which is a site favoured by the species though they also nest in mountainous areas and caves and occasionally buildings. The cliff surface also functions in their hunting as they can pick falling insects disturbed by their flight so close to the rock face. When not catching their prey inflight they will pick them (insects such beetles, ariel spiders and ants) from the water surface or ground.

It is estimated that there are currently up to 1.11 million Crag Martins alive. Because of their sheer numbers and adaptability when it comes to nesting sites and feeding, they are on the "Least Concern" list  by the IUCN or International Union for Conservation of Nature.

an other garden no.32: mare and foal, knocknacarra

an other garden no.26: nesting swan, gaol river by the cathedral

 Stories and Histories

This mute swan has made her nest on the Goal river, named so for the Gaol that sat on its banks from the early 19^th century until its closure in 1939. A mute swans nest is constructed from reed stems and other aquatic vegetation with the process taking between two and three weeks and is a joint effort between the male and female swans. Often a couple will return to the same nest year after year if its well situated, though younger couples can make the mistake of building in a less than suitable place which they learn from and improve on the following year. Laying the eggs can take a further two to three weeks, with breaks of one or two days between the laying of each egg. Between one and eleven eggs are laid looking blue or green at first, becoming white and then brown with staining. Next comes the incubation (siting on the eggs) and the eventual hatching takes place usually between five to six weeks,  at some time between May and July.

Not pictured but very present is the male partner guarding the nest from predators and angrily rushing and hissing at anyone who comes too close. ( He really did not like the sight of my dog Socrates. ) Mute swans often mate for life unless their partner is killed in which case they will quite often find a new mate. Should either male or female partner die during this period both are capable of raising the young on their own.

an other garden no.23: grove of cherry blossom, renmore