Blimey, had to go into the gents!

A shout from Ian this morning to 'come bring the camera quick. Look there's a green butterfly on our center rope.' "Never seen anything like it," says he. I feigned surprise, well I hadn't the heart to tell him this was common as muck and if he took notice of his surroundings more often would see it quite regularly. Anyway just for him I took these photos.

Brimstone

A lovely start for the return journey although I did wonder if those cloud formations meant rain was coming.

Why is it that a journey always appears shorter on the way back than it does on the way there? It seemed that at no time at all we were back at Bulbourne junction and doing a left turn towards the winding hole. Yes, we could have gone back down the locks today but I really wanted to go to Collage Lake Nature Reserve. A short walk from bridge 133 and it was great then to find a mooring so nearby. A tad noisy though, because opposite us at the old Bulbourne Works, (where lock gates were manufactured until 2003 for the southern canal network) new housing is being built.

Bullbourne Junction 

Ian was going to treat me to lunch, very much looking forward to that but on arrival gosh, it was busy.  The car park was almost full to capacity, not too concerned though as the reserve is vast and we doubted that social distancing would be a problem. All we were told by the staff was to make sure we obeyed the bird hide rules. Only 4 in at any one time. Decided to head to the cafe first before all the tables got filled up. Ordered 2 sandwiches, 2 sausage rolls and 2 teas and the price shocked us both! £17! To add insult to injury all the outside tables were occupied and finding somewhere to sit meant a route march. Then to make matters worse, the only toilets open in all that acreage, it had to be the Ladies loo's that were blocked. All the three cubicles out of action! The only choice left was to use the one and only disabled toilet or (and it was my suggestion to the member of staff trying to organise us all) use the gents! This was agreed upon so making sure it was all clear, and with the entrance being guarded by Ian, in I went.

Most of the hides were free but there was a disappointing lack of birds to be seen at any of the lakes. so I concentrated on the smaller winged insects instead and the one tiny mammal spotted by Ian on our way to the exit.

Lapwings and a few Oystercatchers to be seen but mainly ducks, geese, swans and grebes.

 So then todays wildlife.

Common Darter

Common Blue

Speckled Wood

White legged Damselfly? Thanks to Jo it has been identified as a femal Blue Tailed damselfly.

Common Blue (female)

Small Blue

One tiny poppy the size of a 5 pence.

Small Heath

Spotted by Ian running along the path. We think it was a baby field mouse as it was not even as big as my thumb