Tag: Cygnets

When you stop looking…

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1 December 2015

If November had had a theme it would have been rain and swans. Now November is over and done with I’m hoping one of those will have disappeared with it and you know very well I’m not talking about the swans. The beginning of December also brought the need to think about Christmas presents and I had a bit of a creative idea that involved a trip to the Hobby Shop next to the Swan Garden Centre. Originally I’d planned to drive there to save time but there was blue sky and sunshine outside so I took it as an omen that I should walk. None of the things I needed to buy were big or heavy after all and I had all the time in the world. Continue reading When you stop looking…

broken bridges and a shattered dream – first published 30 June 2013

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Some days you start out full of brilliant plans but things conspire against you. At the end of June 2013 my plan was to walk the Itchen Navigation all the way to Winchester and then get the train home. That would give me a nice off road walk. There was even a little bit of research and a map downloaded in case I got lost (not that I’m well known for getting lost or anything) and I set out full of excitement for the walk ahead. Continue reading broken bridges and a shattered dream – first published 30 June 2013

A whole new cygnet hunt

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2 November 2015

This morning I was looking through some of the posts I’d missed on the Southampton Heritage Facebook page and could hardly believe my eyes when I saw a picture of the black swans on the Itchen with five little cygnets. This is more unusual than you might think. The black swan, Cygnus atratus, is actually a native of Australia and New Zealand, not England. The first black swan arrived in 1791 as an ornamental bird and they became quite popular in zoological gardens and private bird collections. Over time a few escaped and wild birds, like the ones on the Itchen, all have their origins in captivity. With so few in the wild, breeding pairs have always been a rarity and until 2005 just twenty pairs were reported to be breeding throughout the whole of the UK. At the last count, in 2011, this number had risen to twenty eight. Continue reading A whole new cygnet hunt

A very short week

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4 to 6 September 2015

Days off are all very well but they can only end one way, going back to work. At least when I left the house on Friday morning I knew I only had two days ahead of me. The morning clouds were edged with fire as I set off along the river path and I had high hopes the flames would spread before I reached the other end of the boardwalk. My eyes were firmly fixed on the sky as I strolled along the path but it came to nothing more than a tinge of pink reflected in the river below. The gulls were squabbling noisily, a few small birds were singing and, as always, I wished I could be going anywhere but work. Continue reading A very short week

surprises and weather forecasts

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25 August 2015

The forecast for Tuesday was cloudy but fine until about two o’clock so I decided to go out early and have a wander along the Itchen Navigation. There was a side path I thought I’d seen that might, or might not, lead me into the centre of Eastleigh without the need to walk all the way to Bishopstoke Road and back again. From the map it looked walkable and, if it was, it would cut off about two miles to the Swan Centre and make another bail out point from the Navigation should I ever need it. According to my calculations I should be able to walk there, have a quick coffee in the Swan Centre and walk back before the rain started. It sounded very much like a plan when I set off. Continue reading surprises and weather forecasts

Viaducts and more dredgers

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13 July 2015

Back in March I paid my first visit to the viaduct and, as CJ loves all things train, I was sure he would like it. Before long we were walking up the slope and CJ, his walking stick still in his hand, looked ahead and said “cinders and ashes,” quoting Thomas The Tank Engine I believe. We set off across the viaduct with me pointing out the benches and the lovely colourful woodcarvings in the shelters where the linesmen would have stood to let trains go past. Continue reading Viaducts and more dredgers

Sun and storms

Cobden Bridge
Cobden Bridge

1 to 4 July 2015

Annoyingly, Wednesday was a beautiful day but I had to go to work. The sky was brilliant blue as I crossed Cobden Bridge and the river looked like it was made of deep cobalt glass. The little ships cast perfect reflections like an upside down, underwater world. The colours seemed especially bright and fresh in the morning light and I could see flowers blooming on the houseboat deck garden. When I reached the slipway two men were trying to get a boat in or out of the water, I couldn’t quite decide which. Their car was right at the bottom of the slipway, back wheels in the water. It looked like a precarious business and I was glad it wasn’t my car. Continue reading Sun and storms

grasses, guns and good news

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30 June 2015

Once I’d left the jetty behind it was back to the meandering trail Which led me through the dappled shade at the edge of Hamble Common to a sign that warned of erosion ahead. At first I was in two minds whether to risk the crumbling path but the bank seemed low, at least at first, and the alternative of walking on the shingle wasn’t very appealing. Ahead I could see the masts of boats and what I thought was Hamble Point. It didn’t look too far so I chose danger over slog. Continue reading grasses, guns and good news

A cygnet hunt and an accident

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25 May 2015

Once we’d been food shopping and had some lunch I thought I’d go for a little Bank Holiday walk along the river. Apparently the first cygnets have been spotted at Lakside and, although I didn’t have time to go that far, I wondered if there were any at my end of the river. Commando was busy in the garden cleaning things so I left him to it, although I’d half hoped he’d come along and maybe we could stop off for a coffee in the White Swan. Continue reading A cygnet hunt and an accident