First boat trip of 2014

It was wonderfully sunny today - about 22C here - and we were able to take our boat out for the first time this year.  Until now the river has been flowing too fast and, even today, the current was about 3 mph.  We went upstream slowly and came back at speed on 'tick over'!

 Ring Neck and partner

The ducks have been milling around but in a rather lacklustre way.  Most evenings Ringneck and her boy come for wheat and then spend time on our platform.  The mandarin ducks didn't come today but Lonely and her partner, and the hybrid duck and his all turned up.

 One of our favourite old boats on its last legs

We have always called this "Pop Eye's" boat and have watched it gradually deteriorate over many years.  It has rested on the bottom for a while and sprouted several buddleia bushes over the years but, since it was moved to the opposite bank last year it looks really sad. We hear it was sold for £1 on eBay.

Another sad sight

We saw three boats looking the worse for wear today, Pop Eye's and another one really didn't look as though they could be pumped out and renovated but I think this one might stand a chance of being salvaged.  The floods have claimed many 'victims'!

The garden has been alive with blue tits today and the nest boxes have all been visited.  We were heartened to see, on screen, that our box fitted with the camera was checked out frequently today so perhaps, if we're lucky, we'll be able to watch the nest being built, the eggs being laid and the hatching and feeding of the new brood.