Tuesday: good intentions

Up at about eight o'clock. Weather looked OK - overcast but bright.

Fed cats. Had coffee & weetabix: nearly out of sugar!

What, I enquired of myself, to do.
   I know, I'll walk to Retford!

Packed sarnies (M&S ham & egg salad) & OJ.
      Loaded wash machine.
   Put long lens on camera and set off about half past eight.

Pics: here and here.

Map here.

Grebes: "bottom" pair still holding to the centre of the pond; "middle" pair encroaching on "bottom"s teritory; "top" pair still sitting^(?)




Round pond & down canal to shopping centre. The damson tree's in fruit.
Caught a bee on a bramble flower:

There was a dead mallard in the canal

Veered off canal to go through the Canch - mainly to see the roses.

Rejoined canal at Bracebridge.    Switched camera lens for landscapes.

A pair of herons flew away from the watermeadow as I was approaching the aquaduct, wished I hadn't swapped lenses. C'est la vie. The Ryton feeder is full of reeds just below the canal. Saw another^(?) heron a short distance below Kilton Low lock.

Someone on Flickr commented on the reinforcements on Manton rail viaduct: they are made of chunks of rail line clamped together

.

A family of young grouse^(?) fled along the towpath and a couple of Canada goose families were on the water.

Approaching Osberton a peewit
buzzed me several times

Just a gentle stroll but my right knee started to ache and steadily became worse. By the time I reached Ranby I decided to pack it in & walked up for the bus.