all life all holiness

 

XT comes belting along the lake, not quite in flight, his feet skipping on the surface of the water.

He's spotted one of his three weaned bay-bays entering the water.

It's very late in the season for swans to be weaning. The big tough guy, soft at heart, had waited till the absolute last minute to wean them. It's already laying time for his next family. The bay-bays are weaned now and he won't let them on the water.

Lovely, Dovely and Eric Cartman must find themselves new homes.

Cecilia, the Mama swan watchs from the reeds. The kids would still chance approaching her if she was alone on the lake. She would try to chase them away too but half heartedly and not nearly so decisively as XT. They don't take her seriously.

I think she's heavily with egg.

I like the expression with egg and intend to use it a lot.

The other swan parents Bob and Grace are in exile on the smaller lake across the road since XT now dominates here and is disinclined to share the space with adult swans, never mind with his cadet children, on either of the two larger lakes.

Bob and Grace began weaning their five children one by one last November. They allowed Cutie and Beauty to stay with them until February. Then they weaned those as well. I guess Cutie and Beauty must have gone to the canal.

Grace has made a nest for herself on the island. This time last year she'd already hatched.

Tawny duck on the third lake has a veritable flotilla of ducklings. I think I counted a dozen swimming around  her last week. She's the first to hatch this year.