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Canal Wildlife


Captain Pegg

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May not see as many rabbits about next year. There is another virus killing them within hours of infection VHD2. Wild rabbits have been found dead in fields in Derbyshire. Domestic rabbits owners are finding their pets dying overnight having displayed no symptoms the previous evening, one rescue charity lost 25 in one night There is a vaccine newly arrived in this country , unfortunately this won't help the wild rabbit population . Bunny

 

I can see why you're concerned.

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As I moored up the other evening, I stopped to watch an otter swimming & diving. He was not at all bothered by my being there 15ft away. K&A but I'm not saying where.

 

Must have seen hundreds of kingfishers in the last 2 or 3 yrs. In the middle of towns & more rural places.

 

Water-voles seem more common on river sections.

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Yes I am concerned. Have had 2 cases about half a mile from where we are living in a house in Surrey. Our rabbit is a house trained house/boat bunny and I had her vaccinated a fortnight ago against this virus, her other meds are up to date. Our last rabbit contracted a variant of myxomatosis( he was up to date with his jabs) just over two years ago and died , we had him for 7 years , dear old soul. He was bitten on the chin by an infected mosquito. Bunny .

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Over the past 3 years have seen most of the wildlife mentioned with the addition of several Red Kites, Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Deer (Muntjac). Going down the arm from Foxton to Market Harbourough last week the Kingfishers were as prevalent as pigeons! Last winter we saw a water vole whilst moored on pontoon by Sutton Wharf on the Ashby Canal. That was quite impressive because his hole was just in line with out kitchen window and that was where he ate his meals so we could sit and watch him eating.

gallery_4454_1287_103529.jpg

 

The one thing I haven't seen sight nor sound of however is an otter!

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Over the past 3 years have seen most of the wildlife mentioned with the addition of several Red Kites, Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Deer (Muntjac). Going down the arm from Foxton to Market Harbourough last week the Kingfishers were as prevalent as pigeons! Last winter we saw a water vole whilst moored on pontoon by Sutton Wharf on the Ashby Canal. That was quite impressive because his hole was just in line with out kitchen window and that was where he ate his meals so we could sit and watch him eating.

gallery_4454_1287_103529.jpg

 

The one thing I haven't seen sight nor sound of however is an otter!

There use to be a very tame kingfisher down there, just sat and watched boats passing.

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I think we've seen a fox on that bit of green land just north west of the Coseley tunnel. It was a while back but in the daytime.

 

I always reckon its a good day if I've seen a kingfisher. Saw one the other weekend while walking along the towpath in the middle of Northampton.

 

Wildlife highspot for us was moored on the summit section of the L & L, looking down on a barn owl quartering the area below in the twilight.

Fiskerton Fen on the Witham is a good spot to watch the barn owls.

May not see as many rabbits about next year. There is another virus killing them within hours of infection VHD2. Wild rabbits have been found dead in fields in Derbyshire. Domestic rabbits owners are finding their pets dying overnight having displayed no symptoms the previous evening, one rescue charity lost 25 in one night There is a vaccine newly arrived in this country , unfortunately this won't help the wild rabbit population . Bunny

Thats a shame as the rabbit population at our marina is just recovering from mixy which was doing the rounds a few years ago in the area.

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On the balance of probability -a rat.

There Is a water vole that occasionally graces our garden. Very similar in size and shape to a rat but has a furry tail (rats tails are scaly) and waterproof fur (rats look bedraggled when they get out of the water).

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On the balance of probability -a rat.

 

Thanks. Well it looked like a rat. But I was thinking of "Ratty" from TOTH who wasn't a rat at all, so wondered if this rat might not have been a rat too... if that makes any sense at all.

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Thanks. Well it looked like a rat. But I was thinking of "Ratty" from TOTH who wasn't a rat at all, so wondered if this rat might not have been a rat too... if that makes any sense at all.

I thought Ratty was from the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. Guess what?

 

Ratty is a vole!

 

JP

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If you really want to see badgers: find an active sett, with signs of recent digging. wait until late spring when they're very active. Go up to the sett at around mid-day and bait the areas around the entrance to the sett with peanut butter sandwiches and chocolate cake. Leave. Return about an hour before dusk. Wear dark colours and soft fabrics. Take a drink and some soft food (no noise) Sit downwind of the sett at least 50 yards away. Make yourself comfy. Be silent. If you're lucky, you'll see badgers. If not you'll still have the magical experience of a woodland changing from day to night.

 

 

 

And have some chocolate and peanut butter sandwiches to eat on the way home...

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Great picture. At home rather than the boat?

 

Don't think I have ever seen a red tree rat in the UK. Not hard to find a short ferry ride away though.

 

JP

 

Yes. We have more reds than greys, because until recently the Forestry Commission employed one of our neighbours as a 'squirrel woman' to trap the greys, but the funds were withdrawn and I suppose the alien greys will recover. They carry a disease to which they are immune but which kills reds.

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Yes. Someone forgot to tell the deer where the deer ramps are that BW put in rolleyes.gif

 

 

What? You mean the deer can't read the signs? smile.png .

 

Each ramp is signed to warn boaters of the obstruction but because most of them over time have sunk below the water surface the deer don't know they are there which renders them pretty useless.

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We had 3 unusual (to us anyway) sightings on the Chesterfield Canal last year.

 

1. We came upon 2 kingfishers perched outside the nest feeding their baby.

 

2. A squirrel jumped in and swam across the canal to the other side. I didn't know they'd actually choose to swim.

 

3. We had some fair sized fish swimming alongside our stern for long periods from time to time. I thought fish would scatter or keep out of the way even when used to boats going by. Maybe it's common but we don't see them because most canals aren't clear water like parts of the Chesterfield are.

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Saw a gloworm on the K&A near Bradford on Avon a year or two back, Otter on the Severn at Jackfield recently but as we do our boating in France we are lucky and have seen lots of things that are rare or missing in the UK , Bee eaters, wild boar (horrible scary looking thing) and something called a wasp spider that is an arachnophobes or a waspaphobes worst nightmare. Oh and a catfish so big that I am now extra careful to avoid falling in.

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