Studley Grange (Wednesday 9th July 2025)

Having not seen any swans at Templars Firs last Friday I decided to try again a little further along the Wilts And Berks on the other side of Wootton Bassett. It was only a few hundred yards from the end of my previous walk but to get there by car added several miles. When I arrived at the canal bridge on Chaddington Lane there were no birds in evidence. In previous years there would have been a large family of mallards and even a mandarin duck. I had a picnic on a close by bench seat and could hear a moorhen and briefly saw it with two chicks through a gap in the thick foliage that blocked any view of the canal.

Later, a dogwalker asked me if had come to see the swans and as she did so they came into view from where I was standing. As they got nearer I saw they had three cygnets with them.

In Extras are some purple loosestrife (lythrum salicaria), which I am entering for Wild Flower Week, with thanks to Miranda1008, and a pair of collared doves that I saw on a brief rather warm towpath walk before I drove off.

This is only my third swan Blip of 2025.

L.
Wednesday 9.7.2025 (1733 hr)

Blip #4292 (#4042 + 250 archived blips taken 27.8.1960-18.3.2010)
Consecutive Blip #003
Blips/Extras In 2025 #088/265 + 076/100 Extras
Day #5583 (1488 gaps from 26.3.2010)
Lozarithm's Lozarhythm Of The Day #3429 (#3269 + 160 in archived blips)

Taken with Nikon Coolpix P900 (24-2000mm equivalent bridge camera)

Wootton Bassett series
Canals series
Wilts and Berks Canal series
Swans series

Lozarithm's Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Dale Hawkins - Susie-Q  (recorded 14 February 1957, KWKH Radio, Shreveport LA, for Checker)
This is on Vol. 1 of the Finbarr Rock'n'Roll Party CD series, which I played on this day. It was a surprise hit for Dale Hawkins, who wrote it with his guitarist and a 15-year old James Burton on his first session. He would go on to tour and record with Ricky Nelson, Elvis Presley and Emmylou Harris. It was dedicated to Susan Lewis, the daughter of Stan Lewis, a local record label owner whose name ended up on the composer credits. The song was later a hit for the Creedence Clearwater Revival, and was first known to me in the 1964 version by the Rolling Stones. Suzi Quatro has also recorded it, unsurprisingly.
(All up to date)

One year ago:
The Woodland Garden (Japanese Acer abstract)