Last year we’d had loads of Kingfisher sightings throughout the cruising season. This year, hardly any… I’d had a couple of sightings on the Oxford Canal in April, but Fran hadn’t seen one since we’d started out this year. So I was quite pleased leaving our mooring near Doddington to catch a glimpse of turquoise and russet flashing past.

Pottering through remote countryside, unmoor-able  but pretty river views and lock after lock for the second day, with just a brief diversion into the Wellingborough Tesco for lunch and provisions, we were just beginning to get concerned about somewhere for the night when we ran under a double railway viaduct and stumbled over a pleasant and useable piece of bank with a sign saying Friends of the River Nene – 24 hour mooring for members. Deciding to join post-hoc, we set ourselves up, and the Captain announced his satisfaction.

According to the map, we moored on a small 50 yard wide piece of land separating the river from a Water Ski Club in a large gravel pit. Didn’t see any water-skiers, but across the far side were numerous sheds/lodges/caravans/motorhomes. Many of these had large trampolines right at the water’s edge, or even jutting out over the water. Strange what some people do for fun…

And over our side, SWMBO saw her first Kingfisher of the year.