Barges Away!

A 17th century barge gets a lift to Ellesmere Port Boat Museum.

Boats that Quack.

This video was from more than a year ago as I write - spring 2013. "Quack-Quack", as named by Katrina one of my boat-neighbours, had made a nest among the rooftop herbs and planters on a neighbour's boat. Here she is trying to encourage them to fledge!




This year (I can't help wondering if it was Quack Quack again) made a nest in my mint planter on the bow of Cosmos.
Only 2 of the eggs hatched and on day 1 on the big wide world they required rescuing, having fallen over a concrete ledge which they were just too small to jump back over in spite of the encouragement of mum!


A couple of days later there was only one chick but as I write, at 2 weeks or so old this one, with doting mum, is doing fine. This is actually not a bad survival rate, in the past I've seen broods of 15 be halved after one day and be all gone 3 or 4 days later. 

They are of course, from one way of looking at things, a sizable snack for foxes, badgers, mink, stoat, pike, heron magpies and jackdaws, who all have their own lives to live and babies to feed. 

If you want to see the only animal that is needlessly cruel to chicks, and many other species, just look in the mirror!

mum on the nest.

The eggs which failed to hatch. The almost
translucent one looks as if had
 developed a long way.

Chicks often stay as close as possible to mum on day one,
getting a bit more adventurous as time goes on.

Their 1st exploration, with mum keeping close guard.
(The ledge of doom is to the right).

Chicks relaxing on the ledge of doom with ever-watchful mum.
A few minutes after I took this they jumped onto this side of it
and couldn't get back so I had to go and rescue them!

Photo taken today. Loving mum and one rapidly growing 2 week old. :)

My lovely new surroundings, around Nantwich Marina.

I have a nice new mooring at Nantwich Marina, much as I love the Macc canal and my old marina home there, this is much more convenient for transport links, gigging and general going out. Here's some pics I took this morning.

Meet the Neighbours!

Songs of the waterways

I wrote this song, as with so many, on the boat on a classical guitar. I remember the writing process very well with this one, looking out of the window on a dark evening. I was also in a very dark place and writing this was part of the healing process.

...and a nice new (old) home...

Heritage Marina in Kent Green, Scholar Green. Tomorrow I'm hoping to introduce Cosmos to a brand new concept, mains electricity!

View from a saloon window



Cosmos under Mow Cop at Heritage Narrowboats

Nice new ropes for the new year.

Hundreds of butterflies filmed by the boat this morning :)

Another night on the boat, another great sunset!

Another lovely "from the boat" view :)

(A rather late) breakfast time in Audlem.

Spring is in the air (and has been for some time).

The first chicks are around (no photos yet) and while Easter for many is when they start their first serious boating of the year for me it's when I often give Cosmos a major spring sorting out, sprucing up. This year should be the biggest ever as I'm intending to give her a major bit of an overhaul, inside and out. Meanwhile, the surroundings, as usual, are gorgeous :)

P.S. The frayed rope is from where birds have been coming down and pulling pieces of rope out for nesting material - double :) :)

I'm Back! 2010 - No Posts!

I won't let it happen in 2011! I'm starting off with a music video. This is a load of photo's I took to one of my songs, "Back In The Real World". Recognise any of the canal-based settings?...


You can keep up to date with my musical goings on on My Music Blog