More tales from the riverbank

Another gorgeous sunny day, another day of needing to take it easy. Today we go to another of our favourite local canoe haunts, setting out from Boroughbridge heading to Newby Hall past ‘heron island’ so named because once - many moons ago - we saw a dozen and more herons gathering there.
The waterways are incredibly quiet, the only other river craft we see moving are one power boat, one canal boat - towing an inflatable, and a paddle board, with someone on it, resting at the waters edge. Yesterday was even quieter. And this is the River Ure, a full body of water, where swallows skim the water, wagtails flit about, their young as well, of course we see herons, several times, a buzzard, black headed gulls patrol the banks and the skies, and lots of lbj’s disappear into the willow trees. We even see cows and sheep standing knee deep (do cows have knees?) at the waters edge to cool down. I’m still besotted with the damsels, demoiselles and dragons - and again they are abundant, another smattering of them in the montage, a demoiselle even lands right in front of me on the boat - shouting - Take me! Take me! - I do! There’s a patch full of mating damselflies, and another where the male demoiselles are hassling both each other - and an emperor dragonfly - and I so wanted it to land!
The river, not as ‘pretty’ as the canal with its white water lilies and locks, towpaths and characterful bridges, but it has a wider and wilder feel. There are different flora here too, giant hogweed, rush flowers and some glowing spinning jenny’s I’ve included in the montage.
The blip is taken looking up the gardens towards Newby Hall, although it’s not on theme, it’s a nod to wide Wednesday- and it shows what a beautiful day it’s been
Heard today my flight to France in July to see my Mum’s pen friend has been cancelled - oh sigh! working on plan B!
Thank you so much for the kind responses to my demoiselle day yesterday