NB Grey Wagtail

A narrowboat moored along a quiet, tree-lined canal in autumn. The boat’s bow is decorated with red, white, and black diamond patterns, and fallen leaves cover both the towpath and the water’s surface. A person wearing a purple jacket stands on the towpath beside the boat, surrounded by golden and green foliage.

One year ago today I set off on my first cruise on the Grey Wagtail. I was moving it from the Whilton to Cropredy Marina. I can’t believe it’s been a year and that I attempted such a journey for my first cruise. #WhiltonMarina #Cropredy #GrandUnion #UKCanals

Sadly, I’m of a similar opinion.

The Claydon Lock Flight and the closed locks down to Lock 33, Aynho Weir Lock, on the Oxford Canal are due to open today for a week. Good luck to all who are trying to get through them. #LockClosures #ClaydonFlight #OxfordCanal #UKcanals

canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/0198...

A brown duck rests on a wooden pontoon above the water on a rainy day, with ripples visible on the canal surface. Behind the duck, a green narrowboat with black hull and cream-framed windows is moored, creating a calm and peaceful canal scene.

Good to see on the canals.

#rain #OxfordCanal #UKCanals #Cropredy

Grey wagtail

linktr.ee/vickyouten...

🪶🦉 #birds #wildlife #ukwildlife #nature #photography #ThePhotoHour #vickyoutenphoto #greywagtail

A smiling man wearing a wide-brimmed hat, glasses, and a T-shirt that reads “Life, the Universe and Everything” stands at the tiller of a red narrowboat named Grey Wagtail. The boat’s side panel is painted with traditional signwriting, showing the registration number and “Grand Union Canal.” A bright orange lifebuoy rests on the roof. The canal water reflects the sunny blue sky, and behind the boat stretches a peaceful rural landscape of green fields, hedgerows, and scattered trees.

One year ago today I met the Grey Wagtail #UKCanals #Narrowboat

Not a lot happening at Brandon this morning. My 1st Wigeon of the winter, several Egrets and Grey Herons and min 3 Grey Wagtails (Carlton Hide).

#Nikon #photography #birds #ukwildlife #ukbirding #wildlife #nature

Thanks! I now have that going around in my head.

Hopefully the reservoirs have big enough catchment areas and are capturing a lot of this rain. 🤞

Oxford Canal - opposite Cropredy Marina - A straight section of steel canal edge piling with a grassy bank behind it, bordered by dense green hedgerow with patches of red berries. The calm, greenish canal water is in the foreground.

Oxford Canal - stop planks at the Cropredy Marina. A marina scene with a row of moored narrowboats in the background, including a red boat named “SHARP.” In the foreground, a temporary barrier made of wooden beams, black plastic sheeting, and sandbags stretches across the water near the bank, with reeds and brickwork at the edges.

I would say it was 8 to 10. The marina and canal appear to be 4 to 6 inches below where they should be. My well deck gunwale was level with the dock and now I have to step over it.

A man with grey hair and glasses leans out of the open side window of a narrowboat, smiling toward the camera. The boat is painted grey with wooden shutters and red paneling. The boat is moored at a marina alongside other narrowboats, with a wooden pontoon leading between them. The sky above is bright with scattered white clouds.

Good to see. For the first time in months I can open the engine room side-hatch on my boat. Water levels in Cropredy Marina on the Oxford Canal have come up a good 10 inches. #OxfordCanal #UKCanals #CanalClosures

Broadmoor Lock, Oxford Canal north - A canal lock with closed wooden gates at the far end, partially filled with water, set within stone walls. On either side of the lock, grassy towpaths run alongside, bordered by trees and shrubs. A white ladder is fixed into the lock wall, and a signpost stands on the left bank. In the distance, narrowboats are moored along the canal under a canopy of trees.

A close-up view of the inside surface of an old canal lock gate on the Oxford Canal. The weathered wooden planks are covered with algae, moss, and signs of water erosion, with cracks and rough textures visible. Some patches of orange lichen add colour to the grey and brown wood. The image captures the age and wear of the structure, showing the damp, rugged detail of the lock gate.

Oxford Canal - A calm canal bordered by grassy banks and open fields under a cloudy sky. On the left bank, exposed tree roots and erosion are visible, while a single tree leans over the water, its reflection mirrored in the canal. In the background, a line of hedgerows and distant trees mark the field boundary, with a stone structure partly visible on the right-hand side.

Oxford Canal - An old, narrow canal lock chamber with murky water partly covered in floating leaves and debris. The lock walls are made of worn stone and concrete, with two white painted bollards standing on either side of the entrance. A dry-stone wall runs alongside the lock, separating the canal from the open grassy fields beyond. In the background, trees line the horizon under an overcast sky

This evening I had a walk along the Oxford Canal north from Cropredy. The Canal is not looking good. Empty locks, some pounds down nearly two feet, dried out lock gates and a feeder canal from the Clattercote Reservoir that’s been dry for months. #ukcanals #UKdrought #OxfordCanal #ClaydonFlight

Canal boat holidays cancelled as drought brings waterways to a halt Huge swathes of England's canals have closed due to the drought, as the ageing infrastructure struggles to cope with climate change

A worrying and sad read… #ukcanals #ukdrought #narrowboats

inews.co.uk/news/canal-b...

OK thanks. I guess most of the water will be coming out of the summit and it can’t afford to lose any water.

Good grief. That’s the thing the Oxford Summit needs.

Napton Locks 9-10 and 10-11, last night (photos Duncan Wright). #ukcanals #boaters

Tomorrow Tues 29th, is the last day to get onto or escape from the Leicester Line between Watford Locks and King's Lock, before the total closure of this stretch, until further notice. Locks open on Tuesday at 10am with the last boat through at 2.15pm. Arrive early to avoid disappointment.
#ukcanals

Swan and cygnet alert!! I love seeing swans and their cygnets out on the waterways. An all too rare sight. #swans #cygnets #SwanCam #UKCanals

Feeding time on the Oxford Canal #UKCanals #DuckCam #Ducklings

A tranquil rural landscape with a calm canal in the foreground, bordered by tall green grasses. Beyond the canal lies a wide open field with scattered sheep grazing. In the distance, a small village with red-roofed houses is nestled among trees and rolling hills under a mostly cloudy sky with patches of blue.

Not a bad view from the kitchen this evening. #UKCanals #OxfordCanal

You are out for a walk along the Oxford Canal and who do you see @onedaymoreaboard.bsky.social
#ukcanals #CanalVloggers

Another day …. Another thing learnt about narrowboats. Started my engine this evening, it immediately died and no power to the electrics panel. Phoned #RCR, they had an engineer on the phone in an hour. He suggested it was the starter fuse. Replaced it. Problem solved. #UKCanals #Narrowboating

A tranquil canal scene on a clear sunny day, with still water reflecting the lush green trees and blue sky. The narrow towpath runs along the left side, bordered by dense hedgerow, while tall trees and reeds line the right bank. The peaceful atmosphere suggests early morning or late afternoon light.

Fun day cruising down the Oxford Canal. Great weather. #UKCanals #OxfordCanal

A tiny froglet with developed limbs sits in the palm of a person’s hand, emphasizing its very small size. The froglet is brownish in colour. The hand’s creases and texture provide scale and contrast.

Great to see the froglets and toadlets emerging from the pond. #toad #frog #toadlets #froglets

Cuts to England’s canal network could put lives at risk, experts say Ageing assets and lack of funding could mean entire towns and villages vulnerable to flooding, investigation shows

The climate crisis plus a lack of funding means ageing waterways assets could be a risk to life, finds parliamentary magazine The House. We were pleased to give comment. The story has gone national and has been picked up by ‪@theguardian.com‬ www.theguardian.com/environment/...

YouTube video by Paul Whitewick The UK's Canals are in CRISIS. This affects YOU.

A very interesting watch.

#ukcanals #crt

youtu.be/IDKfaX1uAes?...

Does it get any better than this?
#ukcanals #narrowboat #sunshine #tea

A cluster of delicate white hawthorn blossoms in full bloom, arranged along a leafy branch against a backdrop of dense green foliage and ivy-covered undergrowth.

The May (hawthorn) flowers seem to be particularly good this year. Trees are heavy with them.

#Spring2025 #MayFlowers

View from inside a narrowboat looking out through the rear hatch over the stern; the tiller is visible in the center, with calm canal water stretching ahead, flanked by lush greenery and a moored green boat on the right; the boat’s wooden interior frames the scene with polished panels, storage cubbies, and a stove pipe to the right.

A serene canal scene on a bright day, with a narrowboat cruising toward a small brick bridge in the distance; both banks are lined with lush greenery and trees covered in white blossom, perfectly reflected in the still water beneath a clear blue sky.

A narrowboat moored along a peaceful canal towpath, with vibrant traditional paintwork on its bow; the path is lined with lush grass and overhanging trees, while the opposite bank is dense with white-blossomed shrubs reflecting softly in the calm water.

Great weekend out on the boat. Stunning weather #ukcanals #OxfordCanal #narrowboat

A yellow wagtail in Bishop Middleham, Durham, yesterday morning.

#birds #ukbirding #ukwildlife #birdphotography #naturephotography