When we saw a notice advertising boat trips on the canal in Bruges we opted for one straight away. These photos mostly feature bridges over the canal(s).

Setting off:-

Typical view:-

Not quite “mind your head”:-

But certainly do this time. I think this was the one the guide said was the lowest:-

Looking back to low bridge:-

Bridge and swans:-

Furthest bridge on the trip. I think the building beyond the bridge is something to do with the water management system in Bruges:-

Side bridge and swans. The bridge wasn’t one we went under. It looks too low for that:-

On the path to the Kelpies (see previous post) we saw a family of swans on the other side of the canal. A dog was being walked and had to be wary of the adults.

Closer to the Kelpies a more exotic bird was being exercised. It turned out a man took his parrot there every day. It could fly about a bit on the end of a line. I caught it below when it was on the ground.

Parrot on a stick. Well, on a lead:-

On the walk back to the car the swans had moved over to the near side of the canal and settled down by the side of the path. A wide berth was given and warnings shouted to kids on bikes not to get close:-

I was in Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy last month and the swans have seven cygnets this year.

After our move to pastures new on April 4^th the good lady and I finally made it back for a look at Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy on June 1^st.

The swans look to have four cygnets this year. (They may have had more and lost some but it was almost two months since we’d been at the park so wouldn’t know about that.)

(Not to mention several ducks.) In Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy, 22/7/2013.

We hadn’t seen all five cygnets the previous twice we’d been to the park before I took this photo so were pleased to see there wasn’t one missing this time.

They’re showing some adult plumage now.

The number of cygnets in Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy had, by 7^th June, fallen to five. I don’t know what happened to the missing one.

At the back end of May I took this photo of this year’s Beveridge Park cygnets (still six) – not to mention the parents and a duck.

About a week ago in the Beveridge Park I took these two photos of 6 cygnets and an army of goslings. You can see trailing from her mouth the weed the pen has pulled up from the bottom of the pond to feed the cygnets.

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Two days ago we were in the Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy (without the camera) and for the first time this year saw the local swans’ new brood of cygnets. We counted 7 young ones – good going we thought: previously the pair have only ever managed two offspring!

The geese beat them to it. Last week we had seen about 12 goslings on the water.

Today – with camera – there were sadly only 6 cygnets. You can see them here:-

The cob was off in the background chasing the geese on the path which surrounds the pond.

Slightly earlier three of the cygnets were on their own a bit.

The other three had stuck close to mum.

While we were going round the path some more-newly hatched goslings crossed in front of us.

The cob had left the water to chase the other geese well away and was displaying fiercely.

We took a turn around the Beveridge Park today and there was one (almost completely white plumaged now) cygnet with its parents. They and some ducks were being fed bread by some idiots. A bit pointless; bread has no nutritional value for swans.

A few seconds later we spotted the sibling cygnet halfway round the pond. (Must be the awkward one.)

Obviously they haven’t been driven off yet. Where they were last time we were in the park I have no idea.