Another tiny goldcrest spotted by Roving Bridge

I had a short walk by the canal beyond Stonehouse, another likely site for seeing kingfishers hunting. I was approaching the towpath from the far end of where I often visit, The Ocean, near St Cyr’s church. At Christmas a dredging boat used by the Cotswold Canals Trust for clearing the canal had capsized under the railway bridge beside The Ocean,.No injuries were incurred but there had been spillage of oil from the engine. It has taken until last week for the boat to be righted and moved, and the delay resulted in the sad death of a kingfisher which dived into the water and couldn’t surface fully. A commotion has rightly resulted as the kingfishers at that point of the canal and nearby river were very well known to local visitors.

I found that the canal I came to today, which is about a quarter mile from that incident, was all clouded with brown silt or mud. A notice said that the removal of the dredger required that whole section of canal be emptied, so that when they refilled it all the water was disturbed. No kingfisher would want to try to dive for fish there.

I waited with my take-away coffee I’d thoughtfully brought with me, and enjoyed the country setting. As I stood I noticed some bird life deep in the ivy climbing up a copse of trees. At last a bird appeared which I was delighted to see was a goldcrest. I blipped one in my garden quite recently. I think it is an admirable substitute for a kingfisher. I was surprised when it seemed to hang upside down, and once I saw my pictures I realised that it must be quite used to gripping with  both its feet to perch like this.  It is a tiny bird.