Thursday 9 Sept 2010 top of Hillmorton Locks

Taking the dog for a walk this morning I think I saw a pair of Ravens. I heard the call first which alerted me and looked up to see a large black bird land in the top of one of the electricity pylons, this was joined a few minutes later by a second bird. The spent a few minutes together on the pylon before flying off. I had been told that Ravens have been spotted in the area and the call is a bit deeper than rooks, so I am fairly sure I am right.
We set off at quarter to eleven, just after a couple of boats had passed us so it looks as if it will be a slow run into Braunston as the one ahead doesn't slow down as much as I do passed moored boats and doesn't go as fast on open water. We saw this boat out on the South Oxford last trip where the hires thought it was sinking, obviously they were wrong.The canal is quite busy again and we have met several boats, mostly on the straight. The hire boat waved me passed as we went under the M6 and we had a clear run from there until we arrived at Lime Tree marina. Here we spotted old friends on their boat and stopped for a chat, I bet we had not been there for more than 15 minutes when the hire boat came passed. We again followed the hire boat to Hillmorton locks where we locked up side by side. At  about 4 pm we moored for the night just at the top of the locks and out friends are breasted on the outside of us as all the moorings are full as far as the eye can see.