I have not been down the Slea for over a week until today, this is because of an ‘unfortunate’ incident which I don’t want to go into at the moment, I may perhaps give more details in the weeks to come.
As I drove up I noticed that the greenery had grown quite a lot in the last week or so, the first wildlife I saw was ‘one foot’ which really pleased me and he came rushing, or should I say hobbling up, for some food, which was forthcoming. I saw 1 baby moorhen near Cogglesford Mill who wasn’t around the last time I visited, hopefully there may be more but I only saw the 1. The Coot was still on its nest and the male paddling up and down.
I then saw the 3 ‘baby’ (more like teenagers now) Moorhens just a little upstream, so they are getting on well. The Coot at Cogglesford bend has built a nest but doesn’t have a mate so I suppose its the hormones making ‘her’ do it.
I was then surprised that I didn’t see any of the 6 baby Moorhens further upstream, but continuing walking I came across 5 of them, so we may have lost 1, but they are getting big also. I was a little disturbed to see them out under the tree by the Leisure Centre bridge because I am worried that a dog off its lead will come around the corner and give then an awful surprise. So I ‘shooed’ the little ones back into the Slea while mum/dad gave me a little ear bashing as they were trying to protect their youngsters from me 
but I tried explaining it was for their own good but I think my pleads fell of deaf ears – LOL.
Further upstream near the Hub there was also at least 4 baby Moorhens, originally there were 6 and its possible I just didn’t see them ?
Here is a shot of a Drake Mallard just taking off…
Terry