Friday's Nature Walk

We took a lovely morning walk today with the milder weather and second sunny, or partly sunny, day.

While out for Pie Night last night the canal water level rose another 6 inches or more.  Thank goodness we had moved mooring spots during the day, as where we were moored the towpath was nowhere to be seen, just an extra wide canal.  The occupants of the two boats still near where we were said it was quite an effort to get back aboard. 

Andrew half opened the lock paddles in the hopes of dropping the water level but this morning was even higher still (AKH...after tripping over the mooring rope and landing on me ....Something to do with the Scotch I suspect).  Andrew has now fully opened the paddles both ends at lunch time and the level does seem to be dropping.  We are expecting more to come though as the River Wreake, a tributary of the River Soar was in flood this morning.

Anyway some images of the high water

 Normal river level is to the left of the reed beds

Flooded paddocks

 Water flowing over the weir. This is supposed to help keep the short canal section water levels lower, thank goodness or we would be sailing over the top of the lock gates !

 and the local wildlife