Birdwatching in Norbury

Currently moored in Norbury, yes we are going backwards as it were but we can't go very far south yet as still too much ice so we came back here as much for a change of view from the windows as anything. We had to break some ice coming up but mainly thin stuff ( 1" as opposed to 3" to 4"!) 


I hung some fat balls in the tree that is in direct view from my chair & to date we have spotted numerous blue tits, a great tit, a pair of nuthatches, a pair of blackbirds, a flock of long tailed tits who visit several times a day, a robin, a starling & a great spotted woodpecker.  
I'm no ornithologist so my RSPB bird book has been useful in identifying the visitors. They have kept both me & Sid entertained.

Blurry pic of Nuthatch

Great spotted woodpecker

Since arriving here on Tuesday the ice has thawed, froze & thawed again, the current  thaw looks set to continue so Mark will check out the canal north of the junction up to the turning point tomorrow on his morning run, if it's clear of ice we shall go up, wind & try to pick up some of this...

 that I spotted on the towpath.  A sight to gladden the heart of a liveaboard narrow boater, well those of us with multifuel stoves anyway.


We may stay here for the weekend or head back down to Gnosall,  I do like Norbury, the services are excellent but it isn't on a bus route & the cupboards  are starting to look bare, we can get a bus to Newport or Stafford from Gnosall to stock up on supplies. Can't go too fast though as we will need to use the services at Wheaton Aston as we pass through & they are out of action at the moment because some moron has used the pumpout for removing oil causing  sufficient damage to need the pump replacing & putting the services ( except water ) out of use for at least a week, idiot!!