Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea )

When is a tunnel not a tunnel?   When it's Armitage Tunnel.  This section of the canal was a tunnel and when they needed to build an enlarged bridge they removed the roof of the tunnel.  This section is a single boat wide so somebody has to go ahead and check no boats have entered.

As we were pulling in to check all was clear a Heron kept moving along the canal in front of us.  It would fly a short distance and then land again.  This trip we haven't seen many Herons, personally I blame the canalside vegetation.  They like to stand on the bank peering into the water watching for prey, which is impossible when there are plants as tall as the bird between it and the water.