IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Seddon Close, MANCHESTER, M26 4TS

A male swan with five cygnets (approx 10-14 days old) on the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal at Radcliffe. The pen (female) was killed before the eggs hatched so the cob (male) took over. A few days earlier, there were eight cygnets (Image]) but now there are only five. Some locals have voiced suspicions that the local heron (Image]) was responsible but I think it is more likely that the others were taken by a mink or fox.

Not a duck, although often found along with its slightly smaller cousin the moorhen on the same patch of water as mallards. As well as being slightly larger in size, coots can be distinguished from moorhens by their all-black appearance and distinctive white beak and 'shield' above the beak from which we get the expression “bald as a …..”. (Compare with Image], taken a couple of hundred metres along the canal).

The mute swan (Cygnus olor) is a very large white waterbird. It has a long S-shaped neck and an orange bill with black at the base of it. It breeds across most of the UK and may be seen anywhere there is a shallow lake, or a slow-flowing river or canal, even in urban areas and parks. This swan and its mate were on the canal at the winding hole near Water Street, close to Radcliffe town centre. Its mate was swimming a few metres away. Mute Swans are less vocal than other swans but, despite the name, they are certainly not “mute”, making a variety of grunting, hoarse whistling, and snorting noises.

A Canada Goose standing on a frozen patch of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal at Radcliffe.

Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the Rallidae (rail) family. They are close relatives of Image Coots, are often seen swimming in open water. Adults have predominantly black plumage and, in contrast to the moorhen, have a white bill and frontal face shield. The legs are greenish the eyes a beautiful red colour but only seen at close quarters. The young chicks have orange-tipped plumes which make them very distinctive (and conspicuous to would-be predators such as foxes). The orange plumage usually fades after about a week. http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/c/coot/index.aspx RSPB https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coot Wikipedia

Approaching the winding hole near Water Street.

The towpath of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal at Radcliffe.

Looking south. This former bridge was on the line between Radcliffe(C) and Bolton, which was in use for passenger trains as late as 1970. If Metrolink has been taken into Bolton, as was proposed at one stage, it would have crossed the canal here.