Opportunist felines

They are all gone😢 Every one of the 19 babies has perished in one way or another. The two remaining ducklings became one on Saturday and then today no duckling has been seen so I'm assuming that has become food for some predator as well.

Saturday

Sunday night

 Both parents are less than concerned! In fact, they look positively relieved! It wouldn't surprise me though if she had another brood as mating has been seen to take place by an interloper. Another Drake who snuck in when the female's mate wasn't looking but by god...when he did notice all hell broke loose!

Talking about interlopers, a brand new boat with 'new to cruising' owners came up the lock today. The Erewash was their very first canal having left Sawley after the boat fitout had been completed. Hmmm, not the best canal for their first attempt, methinks! Numerous low bridges, especially at some of the lock entrances, could catch them out and then there are the lock gates. Some are right pigs, that's for sure. But they managed even though they did have to stop rather quickly to remove the chimney at one of those bridges. Anyway, I digress as they were not the interlopers I was talking about, no...it was Dan and Vicky's cats that were the culprit. A large black rubbish bag had been placed on the foredeck, too good an opportunity for these two pussies to ignore!

 As to the work on FS, well we have got on great guns over the last two days. Yesterday two coats of light grey were painted on the cabin top and today Ian measured and masked the 2-inch strip along the handrail, to which we managed to get on two coats of green paint before the rain started.
Left to do then are the hatch slide, the mushrooms and the back deck. We need to complete these ASAP 'cos we await the NHS appointment which may come sooner now rather than later.

And wildlife today,

Pied Wagtails