Well Met
July 2025
‘Eurasian coot with baby coot chick’, by Number One
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Hello! And welcome to the July 2025 issue of Well Met; we’re glad to be back for a fourth outing.
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I had in mind to upload an image of a coot hen and chick I took myself a few summers ago, but I haven’t been able to locate it on my laptop and I suspect it was lost when a previous laptop developed a problem. Fortunately, the photo above, found online, bears a very strong resemblance! I’m posting the coot hen in honour of Shakespeare’s Dark Lady, who features in this issue; the chick just because he or she is cute.
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There haven’t been many cute coot chicks in the park this year, but the swan family are still with us. Sadly, last month one cygnet received an injury to his or her chest from something sharp in the lake, serious enough to require surgery at Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre. Thankfully the cygnet has recovered, but he/she won’t be able to return to Pittville due to the possibility of being rejected by George and Maisie (parents) and maybe even the siblings too! A new safe life awaits elsewhere.
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This month I’m delighted to feature the following poets:
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Mike, Martin, and Susan have provided notes to accompany their poems; John and W.-B. have taken part in brief discussions. John and I discuss the Dark Lady sonnet by Shakespeare.
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Thanks for reading!
Fliss
