Wootton Bassett (Wednesday 9th August 2017)

I took a lunchtime hour-long walk in the rain today beside the Wilts and Berks disused canal. I hadn't been there for more than three years.

I discovered there was a footpath on the other side from the towpath that I hadn't discovered before, so I took that. I was told there were six cygnets at the other end of the watered section but unfortunately the path came to an end earlier at a canal crossing which consisted of only a few loose planks.

I had a long chat at the start of the walk with one of the volunteers who are restoring this section, and he told me there are good numbers of water voles along the canal, but I didn't expect them to be out and about in the rain. I did surprise a heron on a couple of occasions, and saw a variety of wildflowers, including some American pickerel weeds near the start of the walk and this rather vivid greater willowherb.

L.
9.8.2017 (2129 hr)

Blip #2192 (#2442 including 250 archived blips)
Consecutive Blip #076
Blips/Extras In 2017 #252
Day #2694 (518 gaps from 26 March 2010)
LOTD #1427 (#1553 including 126 on archived blips)

Wootton Bassett series
Wilts and Berks Canal series
Canals series
Flora series

Wilts And Berks Canal At Wootton Bassett, 9 August 2017 (Flickr album of 17 images)

Not ready for last Friday's blip but now complete:
The Wadworth Shires Go On Holiday, 4 August 2017 (2017) (Flickr album of 55 images)

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Pretenders - Thumbelina (1984)
I heard this in the car this afternoon and although I own the album Learning To Crawl (along with all their other albums) its rockabilly-flavoured intro meant that I couldn't place what period of their career it came from. This TV clip appears to show them all miming to the record. Robbie McIntosh (guitar) and Malcolm Foster (bass) were recent recruits to the line-up.

One year ago:
Lacock