Good Morning Early Birds!

[waterboatman]

Tuesday. It's only just stopped raining, so no walkies this morning. Tiggy and foxy were both in and out a bit sharpish.

The charter yesterday went well. A WI group, all completely mad! Much laughter was had by all.

On the way back from Purton I was informed by radio that one of the bridge keepers had been taken ill, so one keeper was looking after two bridges. That meant a delay of nearly half an hour while he came up after letting us through the first bridge, then getting into his car and going to the next one.

There was plenty of wildlife on the canal. A pair of small birds were chasing about keeping with us for a while. I'd never seen them before, not had my crewman, so neither of us knew what make they were. They were a joy to watch, so fast and manoeuvrable, doing wingtip turns and zooming about like a pair of WWII fighters dogfighting. It was impossible to see them clearly enough to identify.

The spadger catcher has just settled on the telegraph pole. He's had his breakfast by the look of it. Such a beautiful, efficient hunter.

A day off, well, sort of, today. Just some paper work to finish. Another charter tomorrow.

have a happy day everyone.

[beejay1124]

hi wbm - a black cat here has just got its brekkie too- it nabbed a (waylaid) homing pigeon that was feeding with the rooks on the seed I put out at the front- by the time I got out it was away with the bird---dang

[waterboatman]

Morning beej. Moggies are evil little barstewards ain't they!

[beejay1124]

neither a cat lover or a cat hater wbm

tho , at the mo - I am leaning towards the ''cat hating''
I shud have let my jack Russell out-- wud have sorted the cat out-

[waterboatman]

Likewise beej. I don't hate them, but I don't want them in my garden either. The cat next door came in one night a few years ago now, and had a go at tiggy's mum, There was a big yowl and the cat shot over the fence with a perforated snout. It hasn't been back! :o}

[tamborine]

G'morning WBM, good to see you about. Am searching for catchup of Worldcup, Germany v Argentina as our electrix went kaput during tv broadcast; due to squirrel sizzle according to engineer.

I couldnt record the match nor watch in local pubs coz that pesky squirrel scuppered us all.

[beejay1124]

a shotgun - perforated rear end :-)

[beejay1124]

hi tambo

[waterboatman]

Morning tam xxx Nice to see you. :o}
Those tree rats are a nuisance aren't they. You can probably get it on I player I should think.

beej I have been sorely tempted on more that one occasion!

[tamborine]

Didnt c u bj. G'morning 2 u & all followers ;)

[Buenchico]

Highlights here, Tambo:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28287470

[tamborine]

Good idea, iplayer it is....c u l8er xxx

[Peaspeculiars]

...sssh don't tell Tambo who won.... xx

Morning all :o) Lovely and calm here atm, neighbours away so no banging about, lovely walk with the hound around the fields and now lovely strong gingerbread coffee, ahhh...

[waterboatman]

Enjoy the game tam. xxx :o}

Morning chris. Nice to see you. All well? :o}

[waterboatman]

Morning peas xxx That sounds purfick! :o}

[Peaspeculiars]

Aye, Aye cap'n... glad your charter went well yesterday and am wracking my brains over what the birds could be...

[Peaspeculiars]

They weren't the very rare lesser spotted Ping Wing display team then?

http://oi62.tinypic.com/jkaduf.jpg

[waterboatman]

arf arf arf Not them little chappies peas, They were, I would guess, about the size of a kingfisher, they had white markings underneath that showed when they turned on a wingtip. Maters of the air and so beautiful to watch. Nobody on board had ever seen anything like them before.

[waterboatman]

Maters? Read masters, Doh!!!

[waterboatman]

They didn't enter the water, but at times were no more than a couple of inches above it, I think catching insects.

[Peaspeculiars]

hmm... what was their main colour boaty? (apart from the white underneath?)