counting coots

Yes, they are back. Assumed to be brood two. Much less inclined to move when on the nest so I cannot tell you how many eggs there are. The tides have not been especially high this week, so they may not have been flooded out, but I expect that this is just a temporary situation.

Note in picture two that the nest area has obtained a new addition, in the guise of an upturned trainer. Nike for those that actually care about these things.

This got me thinking about how much detritus I have seen floating down the Wandle (this river was so abused from the time of the industrial revolution that it was declared dead in the sixties - so what I get now is a vast improvement) and in true Generation Game stylee I present you the list. This is just for the Wandle, not the Thames where the list starts to include boats and guns and things. I shit you not.

A used condom

A shoe

A ski

Four car tyres

Beer cans

A filing cabinet, with drawers

Footballs

A shopping trolley (Sainsbury's)

Beer bottles

Tennis balls

A microwave oven

A cuddly toy

A lifebouy

Empty cider bottles

Traffic cones

A pair of gloves

A junkie's hypodermic

Flourescent jackets

A mattress

A colour television.

Give us a twirl Isla, or whatever your name is.

The stupidest thing about this list is that I don't have to make any of it up.

Finally, a big shout out to the London boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton and Croydon for the assistance in making this post happen and fly tipping into the river. I couldn't have done it without you guys!