Straws Bridge and Manor Floods

My turn to drive and again we wanted to walk on hard standing footpaths so we decided it was a trip around Straws Bridge and Manor Floods. We set off at 07:30 and got there before 08:00 and 2nd in the car park. It was still dark and not a lot to see although we did spot a big fat rat running along the shoreline next to the birds that were still roosting.
We just had a slow walk from the car park and went in a clockwise direction then off towards Manor Floods and past the water settling tanks next to Shipley Common. they had a small screen all around the water tanks and we think its to stop small amphibians like a toad barrier. We went around the tanks and found a spot for our breakfast next to a small bridge with a wildlife screen, our Rob pulled out a nice cake to share around. After breakfast we carried on past a farm and back to Manor Floods then the car. We just watched all the birds on the lake for a while and wondered why a group of juvenile black headed gulls were chasing a tufted duck. I got several shots of this and the duck didn't even have anything in its beak to eat.

Rob in a festive hat

Incoming geese

The Nutbrook

Ike & Rob

Geoff

Rob, Geoff & Ike

Geoff having a cuppa and a cake

Ike, Geoff and me

Me

Geoff

Geoff

Tufted Duck chased by a Black Headed Gull

 

Tufted Duck chased by a Black Headed Gull

Tufted Duck chased by a Black Headed Gull

Tufted Duck chased by a Black Headed Gull

 

Tufted Duck chased by a Black Headed Gull

This was a lovely little walk through some varied terrain, some nice hard footpaths and some muddy ones, we met quite a few people and had a natter, mostly dog owners and the odd jogger. Sorry about the overload  of Tufted Duck pics but it did get away in the end.

Wish you all a merry Christmas and see you next week.

Cheers

Jim

The Nutbrook Canal

Geoff is doing a compilation of canals and he wanted to visit the last remaining sections of the Nutbrook Canal so off we went towards Ilkeston and we got parked up right alongside the canal.
We set off as usual at 06:00 and got there just about 30 minutes later. A beautiful morning and my first pic was en route when we saw St. Clements church at Horsley shrouded in mist. Arriving at the canal we got booted up and set off, the footpath was dry underfoot and nice and level. The water was unbelievably still and we got some fantastic reflections of the trees. We passed a field covered with cobwebs showing up in the back light. The canal was sometimes flowing other times the water was still and one section was just silted up and full of debris. The trail led us through part of Kirk Hallam with a lovely lake with an island.We eventually ended up at Straws Bridge where we had our breakfast sitting at the picnic benches with a view over the lake. Brother Rob first spotted a Carp swimming close to the shore and then a brown rat running along the bank. After breakfast we started heading back along the old railway track and joined back onto our original track and then back to the car. We dumped our backpacks into the boot and then crossed the road to follow the path to the end of the canal which was only a few hundred yards away ending in the grounds of the old Stanton Iron Works. Then back to the car and off home.

St. Clements Church, Horsley 

Nutbrook canal

Remains of Old Furnace Lock

Rob, Geoff & Ike

This snail was about 6 feet up a tree.

The lake at Kirk Hallam

Coming in to land

Greylag Geese

Came across this apple orchard 

Carp in Straws pond

Rob, Geoff & Ike

It just came up for air

Part of the old railway track

Bluebells

White Bluebells 

This seat is made from old railway material

Rob

The lowly Nettle in bloom 

This is a Speckled Wood butterfly

Another weir

Geoff squeezing between these giant concrete pipes

Don't know what these water grasses are called

Fisherman at work

Part of the old Stanton Iron Works being reclaimed by nature

Ike, Rob Geoff

Last look up the canal

Part of this track we hadn't been on before so new territory. A beautiful morning and we met a couple of very interesting people especially a chap walking his dog recounting his days as a miner.

See you next week