Leabank Square Cootlings Doing Well!!

The nesting island on our riverbank has raised two families this season!! Now that last years swans (http://leabanksquare.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/leabank-square-swans-expect-triplets.html) found somewhere safer to nest - a family of coots - as well as a family of mallards took advantage of the British Waterways Nesting Island.


The coots had 5 eggs in their nest - and all of them were hatched in mid May. One of them was definitely weaker than the rest - and didn't survive a particularly heavy downpour one night. One disappeared a few days afterwards - but the 3 rd was seen being carried off by a seagull - so maybe that happened to both of them.


So the family has 2 cootlings now - and they're almost as big as their parents - with a lot more fluff about them. But they look very healthy - and are still very protected by mum & dad! To see the daily battles being played out by the parents to keep other coots, passing swans, loads of gulls, and the olympic patrol boats - spend a very enjoyable hour up on the riverbank. It's very entertaining!!

Olympic Soldiers Patrol Lea Bank

Many of us feel like Leabank Square is under siege!! The Lea Towpath & Cycle path has been shut. This is despite the fact that the Olympics have 4 metre high electric fences, thousands of CCTV's cameras, dogs patrolling inside, vigilante boats sailing up & down, very noisy & irritating helicopters circling etc, etc - they still see the need to shut off the main cycle & pedestrian route for thousands of people daily.


Add to that - now we have to stare at these soldiers marching up & down the riverbank all day & night. Still - it's probably better tan seeing the previous G4s plastic police that used to walkie-talkie along up until they cocked up their contract with the ODA.


So while Mayor Boris is encouraging us to all walk, jog & cycle to work each day - you can only do it alongside the highly dangerous trucks, buses and rat-run cars thundering down Berkshire Road.