It was a view shared by a young man we met out with his dog. Currently out of work and trying to get back into the work place – going to college and doing volunteer work – Wesley spends a lot of time walking the towpath and he has ideas for the canal – “There should be regular cleaning and teams of volunteers to tidy it up. It’s a mess and I don’t know why people keep chucking their rubbish in” We talked with him about birds along the canal. We were stood on the Aqueduct – Site 5 – as the heron flew up from the river – disturbed by a group of children kitted out in their swimming cozzies and taking a dip at the weir (daren’t take a picture… Child Act and all)
Before the children had got there the heron – like the Dippers – had been working the river… slowly lifting his long slender legs – and stalking “They’re like something prehistoric” said Wesley “Yes” – said Trevor – “and did you know that they have the slowest wing beat of any bird when they fly” 8