River Cruising - again!

[John Robertson]

Weather looked good this afternoon (10mph winds, blue sky and no national disaster as in south east England - according to the media anyway  ) so I took a trip upriver.  It felt almost spring-like as the temp reached 7C and the sun seemed warm(ish)

 There seem to be two types of swan on the river this time of year - the locals (who don't even bother getting out of the way any more!) and some immigrants (Hooper swans I think?) who are a bit more flighty - more training is probably needed  .  Also saw four buzzards circling round something over the bank - maybe it was a lion kill     
 
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcuDt4jHFDE

 
 

[Trev]

I thought you were out on the river today John as i didnt see you online this afternoon 

The sky did not look like that up here it was a bit grey but dry and snow free the river and banks looked nice in the video

[rossfloyd]

Last Summer our local birds were so laid back we were having to avoid them - I actually had several cases where they were walking/swimming into our path and left the avoiding action up to the humans ! It may be all the jet skis they see, but hovercraft don't seem to concern them at all.
 
Wasn't it Pegwell Bay where the passage of the SRN4 car ferry hovercraft actually increased the numbers of wading birds by bringing worms to the surface ?

[Kip]

Ross,
I think the main reason the birds thrived with the hovercraft being there was that there was a large area created by the craft transversing regularly that the lugwormers, etc had to stay clear of.
That's what I was told.
Alas at Stanford Hall where we used to race the major problem was swans.
On a regular basis the starts were held up by the shout "Swans on the course" and it was quite a problem clearing them off. The Colonel ( Owner) was not amused when I suggest shooting them. No sense of humour.
Kip