Thursday, 30 June 2011

To Beale Wildlife Park

We left our mooring at Poplar Eyot ... 
 ... yesterday morning about just after 10 ...
 ... and I couldn't resist ...
 ... the exclusive ...
 ... properties which abound the river banks ...
 ... some of which are built ...
 ... on stilts ...
 ... to keep them dry ...
 ... when the river is high.
 Shiplake Lock where we filled the water tank and emptied the 'other one' ...
 ... you can still see commercial activity on the river ...
 ... as we come to Sonning Bridge - through the large middle arch  for river traffic ...
 ... all the arches have been reinforced with these braces ...
 ... and before too long we're at Sonning Lock ... there are 24-hour free moorings just beyond here ...
 ... motor boat Bascote and butty Gosport ...
 ... the junction of the Kennet and Avon Canal with the River Thames does not look auspicious ...  we moored up a few minutes later on the end of the Tesco Extra pontoon ...
 ... 07:30 this morning looking towards Caversham from our mooring ...
 ... we're soon on our way (well 09:45 anyway) ... 
we're going on a recci towards Wallingford to look at possible mooring etc as we're picking up our grand-daughter Louise and her friend Jenny on Sunday morning; she lived in the area for a time when she was very young, so looking forward to that ...
 ... Caversham Lock where there was a very helpful lady on duty today ...
 ... leaving Reading/Caversham ...
 ... and approaching Caversham Bridge ...
 ... which has this very nice detail ...
 ... upstream on the right and down on the left past Appletree Eyot and Poplar Island ...
 ... Mapledurham House and Mill ...
 ... and lock ...
 ... this notice differs from the information in the Nicholson Guide - it looks as if you can moor here without having to pay for entrance to the house and watermill ...
 ... and Narrowboat Epiphany ...
 ... and young people having fun at Pangbourne ...
 ... as we turn to wait for Whitchurch Lock ...
 ... after which we pass these ...
 ... imposing ...
 ... properties ...
 ... one after the other ...
 ... until we arrive at a great outlook and a possible mooring space - at Beale Park ...
 ... where we're met by this adorable little creature begging for food ...
 ... and his parents were just as instant ...
 ... as were the Greylag goslings too ...
 ... but they were soon seen off - I've checked in the three bird books I've got and also the RSPB website, but can't find what these geese are ... anyone out there know?
All I know is that he's got attitude indeed!

5 comments:

  1. Other than saying that they are a domestic breed I can't help,

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  2. Thanks for the link and good photo - will reciprocate on our blog tomorrow! Maybe one day we will meet! Fi

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  3. Someone I knew who had been a gamekeeper, when I asked about them said "table geese" it took me a minute or two to cotton on!!

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  4. Thanks to Roger and Julia and Mark for that information!

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  5. Hi Fi, yes that would be nice.

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