cruel boater - hope it's a one off

[Josher]

I find it very difficult to come to terms with anyone who abuses animals. I really cannot take it. Stuff his head down his weed hatch.o

 

[Yoda]

 

 

I'm on a mission!!

[Laurie Booth]

This is how my son dealt with some ducks in a lock I was about to use

 

 

 

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

I remember going down the Stratford a few years ago, we started to go into a lock and realised part way in there were about 3 young ducks already in there.

 

Much shouting of stop, but before we could back up to let them out or encourage then onto the side with bread they started to rush up the side of the boat.

So there I was , pushing the boat sideways while following them up the lock. I can confirm the lock is wide enough for a narrowboat and a duck , but I had a real sense of panic and horror at the thought that they might be hurt.

 

We have also got to a lock with ducks some in some out, and wondered what to do, but bread is the answer. not off the boat though else they follow you in

 

This May we were moored in the basin at Stratford, and watched some people come to empty the lock so they could come up off the river. they closed the top gate and then opened it again, but there were no boats coming, then the resident swan (and yes it is HIS basin) sailed out quite confident that it is his right of way!

 

They then got on with the lock.

 

We have even been know to rescue a frog trapped in a lock with a net and leave him on the side near the bywash, but maybe that's going just a little too far. That lock is now known to us a frog lock

 

No I can't understand how anyone can do something like that, I bet he doesn't try to dodge rabbits on the road either.

 

Sue

[Josher]

We have even been know to rescue a frog trapped in a lock with a net and leave him on the side near the bywash, but maybe that's going just a little too far. That lock is now known to us a frog lock

 

Sue

 

Not at all, the Americans are nuts about them ...

 

[Tiny]

We shared a lock on the Avon with a family of swans who obviously penned through each day to reach a food source. They followed the boat in. Then, with mum looking after the cygnets at the back of the lock (they receiving bread from us) Dad swam to the front and kept diving under the water - checking we had the paddles up on the gates to fill the lock as he was in a hurry. Lock ready and as we pushed the gate open, dad called up the family - and the whole lot were out of the lock and on their way up river before the gate was open. We followed to find them getting fed at a caravan site a few hundred yards further along. Lovely.

[weeble]

Last week I saw a fairly large adder trapped in the lock swimming against the top gates trying to get out as the lock was filling ready for swmbo to steer the boat in. I didn't mention it to her . Just another thing to worry about when going down the weed hatch.

[kienik]

This is disgusting behaviour by a boater or for that fact anyone!!, i cant believe that someone would do that to wildlife, i guess this person is best described a pond life, oh wait that is wrong too, this person is a A$&ehole, why would you thin kit is ok to do this??

 

Yes we all know that ducks and swans move out of the way when a boat is coming towards them but why trap them in a lock to "teach them a lesson"??

 

this boater needs to be found and bought to task over this!!

[Daio]

Likewise. I often (rightly or wrongly) judge people by their attitude towards animals. I understand why some people have no affinity towards animals, but to knowingly abuse defenceless creatures is plain wrong in my book.

 

Rightly. OH, who has had many professional dealings with families who are, shall we say, known to the authorities, can tell you many stories connecting abuse of animals to domestic violence and child abuse. Cruelty is a way of exercising power and these sad, bullying types with no self-esteem lose no opportunities to use it.

 

Yes yes, using violence against them is all wrong etc but giving him a bloody good hard crack on the temple with a geared windlass would have much merit, in my lawless but moral world.

[WotEver]

We were tootling down the Coventry a couple of months back with friends and as we passed a spill weir our (very slight) wash caused the 7 ducklings that had been sat on it to all plop over the edge whilst mum watched. We stopped the boat and my mate ran back with our landing net (which we have to hand not for fishing, but for rescuing assorted lost animals). He extended the pole and used the net to encourage the little 'uns to walk uphill amid much tweeting from them and anxious quacking from mum. As we watched from the boat we saw a little line of frantic chicks reappear on the side of the cut and rush over to mum while she soundly scolded them for being so careless.

 

We have a video of it somewhere.

 

Tony

[Tiny]

Not at all, the Americans are nuts about them ...

 

 

Moored on the Llangollen I noticed a Toad nutting the piling with no hope of getting out. I acquired a tree branch and offered the toad a ride which it accepted climbing off in the grass by the hedge and stomping off on its way back to Toad Hall - or to see a lady toad maybe.

[Tim]

I was on the Caldon, forget exactly where, there was a duckling apparently stuck in a lock overflow weir. Was made to climb in with net to perform rescue, as I tried to net it, it flew out! I was wet and covered in slime, but I felt better about myself.

[Robbo]

I was on the Caldon, forget exactly where, there was a duckling apparently stuck in a lock overflow weir. Was made to climb in with net to perform rescue, as I tried to net it, it flew out! I was wet and covered in slime, but I felt better about myself.

 

Another duck rescue here...

 

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-...86081-26753214/

[Gunna Do]

We shared a lock on the Avon with a family of swans who obviously penned through each day to reach a food source. They followed the boat in. Then, with mum looking after the cygnets at the back of the lock (they receiving bread from us) Dad swam to the front and kept diving under the water - checking we had the paddles up on the gates to fill the lock as he was in a hurry. Lock ready and as we pushed the gate open, dad called up the family - and the whole lot were out of the lock and on their way up river before the gate was open. We followed to find them getting fed at a caravan site a few hundred yards further along. Lovely.

 

A little further down the T + M from this disgusting incident, possibly Barton Turn we encountered a Swan waiting by the closed lock gate. On opening said gate He swam majestically straight down the centre of the lock and waited by the bottom gate. I warned SWMBO who brought our 50ft Nb in very slowly. As soon as the bottom gates were opened our swan went out and a little while later we saw him together with (presumably) the rest of his family. We were told that they do this quite regularly but we had never seen it before!

[Mandy]

I am so glad to read that this seems to have been a one off incident. I have loved reading all the stories of necessary and not so necessary rescues. Still, I walk around Fradley Nature Reserve daily and I miss the family of swans and wish they were still here so I could watch them grow. Ah well, life isn't fair!

[Naughty Cal]

The duck family we encountered on the tidal Witham had a nifty trick to get back onto the non tidal Witham. Mother duck would herd ducklings towards the sea gate just before the river made a level and then when lockie opened the sea gates they swam straight through. Apparently the local seal population have also picked up the same trick.

[nbfiresprite]

are not swans property of the the Queen? disgusting! we had much the same with ducks on a triple flight. mum in the bottom lock, 2 ducks in the middle and 3 in the top. we managed to reunite them all in the bottom lock with no accident or injury to any of them. it was awful hearing mum calling them. she could hear them and had no idea where there were. yes it took us a bit longer to get down the flight but so what! boating is supposed to be a relaxing pastime not a time challenge!

 

 

Only Mute Swans are the property of the Queen.

 

 

Firesprite

 

In the Office

 

Cambridge

[mikevye]

I have an excellent book called "the Mute Swan of England" which goes into great detail about how these rights came to be awarded. I forget the author's name but will go and plough through m shelves, if anyone's interested.

 

Edited to say: Norman Ticehurst wrote the book. Google is so much easier than standing up and crossing the room to my bookshelves.

 

I have the complete works of Donald Sinden I just hope Alexi Sayle doesn't find out but the rest of you are welcome to borrow them.

[FORTUNATA]

I always steer around ducks and ducklings and they also seem to understand how to swim to the side when there's a boat coming. It's nice to see them on the canals.

 

are not swans property of the the Queen? disgusting! we had much the same with ducks on a triple flight. mum in the bottom lock, 2 ducks in the middle and 3 in the top. we managed to reunite them all in the bottom lock with no accident or injury to any of them. it was awful hearing mum calling them. she could hear them and had no idea where there were. yes it took us a bit longer to get down the flight but so what! boating is supposed to be a relaxing pastime not a time challenge!

[Matthew Knowles]

I always steer around ducks and ducklings and they also seem to understand how to swim to the side when there's a boat coming. It's nice to see them on the canals.

When paddling our raft down a river I always rely on the ducks/swans/etc to do the 'getting out of the way'. I originally tried to avoid them but after several instances when they changed their mind at last minute and swam/flew into us I gave up.

 

We have had one instance where we hit a swan and as a result it chased us down the river for a couple of miles. It sure makes good incentive to paddle when you have an angry swan up your arse!