Barge Hire - Nature & The Canals
Nature and the Canals
Your very own 'Nature watch' will reveal itself on your barge hire holiday when every day the canal and surrounding areas spring into life. All of us are familiar with the ducks and swans but imagine the excitement of spotting a heron, otter or water vole.
The canals are easily accessible and free to explore and they are the ideal destination for nature lovers. As you gentle cruise along the canals on your barge hire holiday you will get back to nature and have a chance to see the wildlife close up.
In fact as you are cruising the canals on your barge you will find that the wildlife comes to you. Ducks and swans feed on the duckweeds that floats in the canal and the reeds growing at the edge provides food and shelter for damselflies and dragonflies.
Wild flowers are abundant on the canal banks and these attract a host of butterflies and insects. At times it will be so peaceful that you will hear only the birdsong or buzz of the bumble bees. Listen for the sound of owls hooting at dusk or the call of wild fox. In the still of the mornings or in the early evenings you may hear a splash which could be frog hunting for flies or a fish jumping out of the water.
As you are cruising along feed the moorhens and swans that follow your barge hoping for a tasty treat. In the early evening as you are having a relaxing drink on deck watch the bats as they fly low over you catching flies. On your barge hire holiday you may be in a privileged position to spot buzzards swooping over farmland or a flash of blue as a kingfisher darts into the reeds.
You may want to pack a few extra items on your barge hire holiday to help you and your family enjoy the wildlife even more.
- A set of binoculars
- A wildlife book
- A notebook for keeping a record of what you have spot
- A camera to capture the moment
Some of the more common wildlife to keep an eye out for during your canal boat holiday are - (why not see how many you can see cross of the list)
Badger
Barn Owl
Bat
Blackbird
Bumble bee
Butterflies
Buzzard
Canada Goose
Common Toad
Coot
Crayfish
Damselfly
Dragonfly
Fox
Frog
Grasshopper
Grass snake
Grey Squirrel
Hare
Hedgehog
Heron
Hornet
House Sparrow
Kestrel
Kingfisher
Ladybird
Lapwing
Lizard
Mallard
Mink
Moorhen
Moths
Newt
Otter
Pigeon
Pond Skater
Rabbit
Red Deer
Robin
Skylark
Sloeworm
Sparrow
Starling
Stoat
Swan
Swallow
Swift
Thrush
Water Boatman
Water Vole
Woodpecker
Wren