intrepid pony: Nest Building Swans

lovely mooring

After walking Lottie I concentrated on cleaning the inside of the boat while Paul sorted our wood supply out and checked the engine. He then touched up the blacking where the boat had scraped on dodgy pilings through the Caldon’s narrow bridges and then tackled the rust spots, rubbing down and applying red oxide. Lottie snoozed in the sun.

Bridge at Great Hayward canal junction

We set off for Great Haywood at 11.15 with a steady stream of traffic heading our way. As Paul cast off a narrow boat roared round the corner so he had to hold it on the middle rope. We followed the racing boat gradually falling behind but glimpsing it in the distance.

Swans building nest

“No point rushing,” Paul said. “There will be a queue at the Sandon lock. There were 3 boats waiting, so our measured pace saved us standing on the bank holding the boat for maybe 10 minutes. We reached the head of the queue half an hour later. Fast narrow boat stopped for lunch while we cruised past taking it in turns to eat our sandwiches.

Team work

Unsurprisingly it caught up with us as we queued for the next lock. It flew around the corner and bounced nose first straight into the bank – not the usual method of coming to a halt. They turned the lock round swiftly and pursued us to Hoo Mill lock. At Great Hayward junction Paul filled with water sending me to the farm shop for their home made ice creams – a welcome treat in the sunshine.

Breaking reeds

Having to go further to find reeds

We moored after the junction, opposite a pair of nesting swans. Where else can you get so close to nature and watch in comfort? They worked as a team building a nest in the reeds She broke off reeds where she was building her nest and wove them into the structure. The male broke off reeds further from the nest and ferried them over to his beloved, waiting until she took each proffered reed. It was a rare treat for us to watch especially as Lottie ignored them. She has also ignored the sheep who have filled the fields with their lambs but we won’t trust her off the lead. Because of the sheep there was only one place where Lottie could run free today but she made the most of it, running for pleasure. Naturally afterwards she took a dip in the canal to cool down after all her exertion. At the junction she put her front feet on the parapet of the bridge and admired the view.