Tuesday 29 May 2012

Wildlife - Terrapin

I couldn't believe what I saw as I stood brushing my teeth and looking out the window to the canal bank opposite...

Example image by photographer Jeff Wharton from Braunstone Town, taken near the Abbey ruins in the park.

It was a terrapin the size of a dinner plate located on the Nottingham canal near to Boots industrial estate!

I did a spot of reading up on the Waterscape website...

"Originally native to the UK some 8,000 years ago, the terrapin has made a fateful return to our waterways in the aftermath of 1980s 'turtle mania'.

Tiny baby terrapins, roughly the size of a 50 pence coin, were once thought ideal pets for youngsters in thrall of the Ninja Turtle cartoon heroes. Consequently, aquarium tanks became a common feature of many British homes.
Today, these pets have grown to the size of a dinner plate and developed enough strength to break free of their tanks. Their subsequent, and irresponsible, release into the wild has prompted fears for the health of local wildlife, as well as the terrapins themselves who are ill-equipped to survive in the damp British climate.

Terrapins, along with tortoises and turtles, are known as Chelonians - reptiles with shells. They are almost totally aquatic but also need dry land to bask on during sunny days. Still waters and rivers in the Midlands and Southern England support the largest terrapin populations. These are largely made up of American red-eared terrapins, although snapper turtles and European pond terrapins have also been spotted along our waterways. It is unlikely that these animals are breeding, as terrapin eggs need to be incubated at 25 degrees Celsius for around 60 days in order to hatch"

Facts

Appearance: Similar in colour and appearance to a tortoise. Red-eared turtles can easily be identified by the red stripes on both sides of their head

Size: Adults can reach 40cm

Weight: Up to 2kg

Lifespan: 30 years

Diet: Terrapins are omnivorous and will eat a variety of fish, worms, small animals, snails and vegetation

Family: Testudinidae

Thursday 24 May 2012

Poetry: sand verse












Composed in the sand at Yarmouth, Isle of White.

Crushing sand and chime of bells.
Whispering wind to shh the sea-salt sails.
Lapping waves and seaweed hairs
washes away the footsteps of the day.



Saturday 12 May 2012

Brilliant Spring!


The windows are open, the doors flung wide and the sun has been streaming in. We have been living half outdoors today as the weather has been glorious! And what better way to spend the day than sunning on the roof watching the wildlife?!


The boat is looking stunning after our hard work last weekend, giving her the first through wash of the year!


Just look at that cream roof!


A family of swans have a nest on the bank nearby and have been exploring the reeds opposite...




Count those little fluffy signets...


There have been turf wars however between the swans and these coots who have chosen the reeds as their nest...



Waiting for...


feeding time...


The daisy's are out along the towpath, in fully spring-time show...


And this wild creature has been hanging about the ropes dizzying herself looking at swarms of mosquitos...


Ah, after so much vitamin D today I could almost burst!


Monday 7 May 2012

Rain and pollution

With all the rain over the last month the rivers in the East Midlands have been in flood. All the water levels are up, including the canal. The flow on the rivers has been very fast and the River Soar recently burst it's banks. The biggest issue with rivers in flood is the debris that drifts out. Whilst we were moored at Beeston, the lock was impassable, not only due to the River Trent being in flood but the backlog of debris sat solid against the gate. Leigh took a photo...


Do you notice the tree? and the metal security gate floating on the surface?

This reminds me of a time when we left a lock at Sawley and had to ride over a tree trunk wedged across the exit. Not a pleasant experience.

During the flooding we have resided on the canal network and until the engine is serviced this month, this is where we will stay. I don't fancy the risk on the unpredictable rivers without knowing the engine has had a bit of attention.

On a walk into Nottingham last weekend, Leigh noticed a film of colour spreading across the canal surface. Unfortunately it appears that there was a leak of, possibly, diesel...


On a positive note, I have applied for funding to develop our Sustainable Boaters project in the form of a PV Solar system and solar hot water system. Fingers crossed this turns out, as it would drastically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. I love renewables!