SEPTEMBER!

First things first: The bloody computer went down again! 486 pics downloaded from Thursday's walk. Fortunately I'd still got 'em on the camera card. Back on the laptop!

Thursday

Walked to the tunnel entrance and back. According to Google maps, it's 5.65 miles just to Kiveton park. With the extra (about ½mile) to the tunnel entrance, I reckon the return trip's about 12 - 13 miles.

Boats

Nb Archimedes and Nb James were moored at Shireoaks Miner's Welfare as always.

In Shireoaks Marina Little Lucy was preparing to sail.

Passed Thomas Harold …

… and Lazy Dreams locking through Turnerwood flight,

and, at Thorpe Top, a "plastic" Studland Warrior

.

Nb Wilderness was moored at its usual place

and Umnyama at Albert's dock.

Having a thorough clean out at the summit mooring was Nb Cheddington: vacuum cleaners rule!

Returning:
In addition to Umnyama, Wilderness, Thomas Harold and Lazy Dreams; a new (to me) narrowboat

Changing Pace

Rather unusually, they were a young couple who were fitting out a shell on Shireoaks Marina.

Little Lucy was out and, having turned at Turnerwood basin, was descending to moor at Stone lock.

Wildlife

A wasps' nest that someone had broken open, …

… a dead owl …

… thoughtfully(?) placed on a lock gate

and a dead moorhen on the towpath.

On the more pleasant side:

A brood (gaggle? flock? herd?) of mallard chicks.

The top pound water looks grey and uninviting but there are some really big fish in there.

Kingfisher

At the very end, near the tunnel, a brilliant flash of blue. I'd got the wrong lens on to capture it well but:

It's right in the centre of this pic so …

… zoomed, enhanced, cropped

and again …

… doctored.

Until you've seen one in flight, you just can't imagine the brilliance of the plumage.

Trip

I'd set out to take a full day so, in addition to the camera, I'd packed spare lenses, waterproof, sarny (Bird's Corned beef salad), flask of coffee and two plastic bottles of Robinson's orange juice. Unfortunately I'm not as young as I was, so by the time I got home, I was fit for nothing: flaked out straight away (after feeding hungry cats!). Thinking back, I once did 40 miles in 24 hours (Lyke Wake walk) - it'd kill me now.

I'm going to put some pics on t'other blog soonish. And then it's tagging and uploading to Flickr. This blogging & stuff takes longer than the walking! More uploaded.