Caen Hill (Sunday 11th September 2016)

As I was in the area after a quick grocery smash and grab, I thought I would call in at the Caen Hill locks on the Kennet and Avon and parked in Marsh Lane, at the bottom of the flight. It was my first visit since July. The canal was still quite busy with narrowboats going up and down the flight, some holidayers and some regular boaters.

As I made my way up the hill I saw a swan in a side pond with a heron by the bank fishing, and another solitary swan and another heron in another side pond a couple of locks higher up. Whether the two swans were a pair or from different families I couldn't tell, and both were unaccompanied by any cygnets.

I had a chat to Alan, the CRT's wildlife expert, who was on his quad bike (see Extra). He told me he hadn't seen the kingfishers this season but there were otters higher up the flight, as well as green woodpeckers. Of the cygnets, there was now only one left, he said. One had sadly been crushed by a narrowboat going through the locks and another had been taken by a fox.

There were distinct signs of Autumn in the landscape, which was looking superb as always.

L.
15.9.2016 (1244 hr)

Blip #1926 (#2176 including archived blips)
Consecutive Blip #005
Day #2371
LOTD #1161 (#1285 including archived blips)

Taken with Pentax K-1 and Pentax HD P-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR lens

Caen Hill series
Canals series
Kennet and Avon Canal series
Swan series

A Visit To Caen Hill Locks, 11 September 2016 (Flickr album)(Work in progress)

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Fat White Family - Breaking Into Aldi (2016)