Wild October Day 27

Camden Market was the plan for today (not my choice, I hate shopping and crowds!) so today's Wild October activity was walking from the apartment in Islington, along the Regent's Canal to Camden.

Along the way, I mostly saw runners and cyclists, but there were also trees, berries and a pair of cormorants and the odd bit of fungi.

After escaping the market, a look at a map revealed that Regent's Park wasn't too far away so I wanted to walk further along the canal to wander in the park (squeezing as much wild as I could out of today!).

I'd covered 11 miles on foot by the time I got back to the apartment.

a daily al fresco cuppa in the form of chamomile tea

Someone had left some bread in a bag here so there was a flock of birds clustered around it and as I got closer, I realised there was a heron amongst them. Rather tame, not bothered by all the passing people, just joining the gulls and pigeons to feast on the bread.

I picked up the carrier bag left of the photo, along with another and the bread bag from near the tree and put them all in the bin just a few feet away (when the birds had emptied them of course).

I'm so ready to go home now! I've spent a day and a half in London now which was, I now realise, more than enough. What was I thinking, coming for a few days?!!  Honestly, arriving at Euston Station yesterday right as three trains (I think) spilled their passengers into the station, was enough to make me want to just get on the next train north ... sadly I'm wholly reliant on being told which train to get and where to go here... as a person who never had the option for public transport, I'm not au fait with it at all and London... well, London is a whole other country, I've no chance of understanding the underground and dealing with all the people!

Day 23 - A short canalside wander

I was completely stuck for ideas today but made a spur of the moment decision to park near a canal on my way home and have a wander alongside it, looking out for insects or whatever else I might see. It wasn't a long walk, I didn't go far but I spent about an hour out and found quite a few invertebrates...

This one I think is a solitary bee, perhaps Lasioglossum xanthopum, the yellow footed solitary bee.

 I think this is a mining bee (perhaps Andrena caratonica?)

I got two for one here, a nettle tap moth and some kind of fly.

This is a hoverfly which I think is Helophilus pendulus, know as footballer hoverflies because of the stripy thorax.

I spotted a couple of these longhorn caddisflies, Mystacides nigra.

There were lots of fish in one spot, I've no idea what kind though!

A spider with an egg sac. I always think these little black ones that you find all over the ground are wolf spiders but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

red headed cardinal beetle

common carder bee

nettle tap moth

  How was your Day 23?

Last year on Day 23, by complete coincidence, I walked along the same stretch of canal! I had no idea it was year to the day when I set out today. A year ago my walk was much longer as I'd started out from home; today I parked nearby as I'm still having trouble with my feet and couldn't walk so far, plus I had other things to do at home so didn't have as much time.

http://louises30dayswild.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/day-23.html

Day 23 - An evening walk along the canal

Day 23... another busy day with work and taking my grandmother shopping then for an appointment...

I was struggling and didn't think 30 Days Wild was going to happen, but after a bit of time catching up on things at home, I had the brilliant idea to go out for a wander alongside a nearby canal - somewhere I haven't walked for ages.  It was a really lovely evening to be out - I'm glad 30DW made me go outdoors!

The gravelly path looks new-ish... last time I walked along here it was just a grassy path, with a worn away narrow footpath along the middle (which I much preferred).

There were a few Canada goslings (and their parents)

And a moorhen possibly about to steal a boat!

Someone has a peaceful place to sit of an evening...

Oh look, a rope swing...

Don't mind if I do!

It was a lovely evening and there was a lot of birdsong as I walked...


An amber snail

soldier beetle, about to fly!

This pretty home has a house martin nest - they nest here every year and were flying around this evening but I didn't manage a photo.

A beautiful evening to be outdoors! I'm glad I made the effort.