#55 Cruising the Middle Levels| Marvellous March| Rats Vs Geese!
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Our fantastic Fen Journey begins as we enter the Middle Levels! I explain how to go through Stanground Lock and take you on a narrowboat cruise to March, a beautiful town which provides the backdrop for a war between the Embden Geese and the Rats. Sit back and relax to a mindful cruise to Upwell and listen to a little limerick as I write my nature journal for the week. Take care x
Love the cat
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Just seen you moored up today, don’t miss Wicken Fen not far up river. We love your vlogs - NB Froya
Thank you, the NB Froya crew for your lovely comment and I won’t miss Wicken Fen now! Be sure to say hello if you see me! Take care🌻🦋
Your careful and delightful observations of nature on the cut, as you go, only add another dimension to the boating scenes, all of which are delightful...you're nearing our territory now, and I know you will be highly delighted by all the other rivers, highways and byways as you progress towards Cambridge. Guy
There is just so much to see in this area and the scenery is breathtaking as you cruise through it. I can’t wait for what lies ahead. 🌻🦋
Never mind a gaggle of geese - that's a gang of geese in March. Great characters.
The cruise was lovely. I spotted more grebes and the nesting swans were lovely.
what a suprb video. You don't miss much do you? We, the subscriber, are very lucky to be going along with you on your travels. something new every vlog. Thanks so much
Hi Michael, I hope that you have had a good day. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Those geese were so funny and I know they cause trouble in March, but what personalities they are! Take care.🦋🌻
These Emden Geese are very aggressive.we moored here overnight severtal times and got chased back to our boat. I also got attacked when i Kayaked past .I thought they were going to tip me out. Upwell so mjuch more peaceful .:)
They definitely have attitude, don't they!🤭 Thank you so much for watching and commenting, take care🦋🌻
What a great explanation of the goose-rat-human ecosystem. And very pleasant cruising along the way to Upwell
Thank you so much, Sian! Take care🦋🌻
I really enjoyed this episode. I still have lots to watch.
I'm so pleased that you enjoyed this one, David.Thank you for watching. Take care 🦋🌻
Ah, a few bumps, no problem. Life has bumps. 🙂 I love following along on maps or on Google Earth with your travels. And I love learning all the things you teach/show us. The Emden Geese may have moved here for any number of reasons ... climate change, loss of food, loss of breeding grounds due to human ingress, all sorts of reasons. In the USA, all of us except indigenous tribes are interlopers and maybe all of us should be sent back to where we came from. I hope the best for the Emden Geese, but also for the swans and others. Great poem. 🙂
Thank you so much, Ann! Take care 🦋🌻🤗
another great video Vanessa, thanks for taking the time! Rob
Thank you so much, Project Waterlily. I’m so pleased that you are watching. Take care🌻🦋
Good afternoon Vanessa lovely surprise to see u, great shots of the geese and swans with the cygnets 😊. What a lovely calm cruise with the water looking like glass, what a different contrast in the views as u float down the river. Over the years more and more wind turbines have appeared in the landscape, taking advantage of the blustery wind blowing across the fens.
I hope u have a great week and take care💜xxx
It’s always a pleasure to read your comments, Simon! The fens are such a spectacular landscape to film and the wind turbines make it that extra bit dramatic I think. Have a wonderful week and take care too.🌻🦋
@@themindfulnarrowboat l can't wait till u cruise the river ouse around the Cambridge area as l once lived in the St Neots area very beautiful 😊
I’ll look forward to filming it. My ancestors were shepherds around Cambridge way! 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
I'm looking forward to this cruise!
It’s lovely to have you join me! Take care 🌻🦋
Hi guys so nice of you to visit my home town of MARCH and meet the local geese lol but they make sure a mess everywhere,so wish I knew you was coming to March I would have loved to meet you ,and buy you a coffee or whatever you drink,hope you enjoyed you trip this way on ,we are haven’t trouble with unlicensed boats in the river taken away visitors moorings ,till next time take care keep safe,John 👀🥂🌹❤️🌈
March is a lovely place and I really enjoyed my short stay there, sorry I missed you! I’ll let you know when we’re on our way back. Have a wonderful week!🦋🌻
@@themindfulnarrowboat yes you do that it would be so lovely to meet you ,loved the poem made me smile,🌹
Good evening Vanessa, very nice vlog, the geese are not generally sociable, they can be very aggressive, in the village where I grew up, there is a small river and there is a bunch of geese and ducks which sometimes block the path. circulation, no one dares to chase them, have a great healthy week
Thank you for your lovely comment, Jean-Louis. You have to admire the geese for their courage though! Have a wonderful week!🦋🌻
I loved this one! Lovely scenery, great filming of the cygnets, one trying to get under mother’s wing 😊. Nice to see a rat, they are also cute when you take time to study them. Like all creatures, they are just trying to survive - rats only know how to be rats!
I never realised a dunnock sounds like a Labrador panting😂.
Rats are all part of the food chain aren’t they? Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comment too. Have a super week. Take care 🦋🌻
It must be hard for you sometimes to witness the battle for survival that’s going on in the background of your idyllic environment. I’ve always had a soft spot for rats, but so have owls and hawks!
Your poem about the geese is amusing and clever! It takes my mind off the weather. It is-40 degrees Celsius (with the wind chill!) 🥶
That is so cold! I hope you are warm and cosy inside somewhere? Thank you for watching. Take care 🦋🌻
@ We are cuddled up beside our fireplace! On a positive note, the sun is shining! 😊
Thank you for your fantastic close ups.
Thank you, Nanci for your lovely comment! Have a wonderful week!🌻🦋
Amazing video as always. I particularly liked the shots of the rat, the dunnock and the little signets xx
Thank you so much, Indi! I loved filming the animals too. I didn’t realise how beautiful rats were until I zoomed in on its little face. Not sure I’d want one on the boat though! Have a wonderful week!🌻🦋
I wish I'd known when you were in March. I live there and would have come down to say hello. Upware is a lovely spot to moor up. You will have a wonderful time once you hit the Ouse. Turn left down the Relief Channel once you are through Denver Sluice and you can cruise to Downham Market. Right (ahead) takes you through Ely and onwards to Cambridge; with so many adventures on route. Looking forward to seeing where you go and where you moor up! Sgay safe.
Well now Jill, do you know John who has commented as it appears you both live in March? I will let you know when I’m passing through on the way back. This waterway network is my favourite so far: the scenery, wildlife and people. You are lucky to live with it all on your doorstep! Have a wonderful week!🦋🌻
Beautifu video. Love your poem.
Thank you, Ruth! You always take the time to make such kind comments on the narrowboat vlogs and it’s people like you that make producing content so worthwhile. Have a wonderful week!🌻🦋
Ah ah... That rat turned vegetarian really fast. Poor hungry fellow. That canal is really beautiful.
This stretch of water is really lovely and I’m enjoying it so much. Have a wonderful week!🌻🦋
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Lovely dogg x
Thank you, Critters of the Earth! Take care🦋🌻
Wonderful video, I'm beginning to run out of superlatives. I'll have to rack my brain or consult the dictionary. Those geese are so noisy did they start up at 3 a. m. I so love Upwell and did you look inside the church, the roof is carved with flying angels. A word of warning about Brandon at the end of the Little Ouse. Do not moor there on the E. A. Mooring as there are now travellers there and they will take anything they can remove from boats. I was told this the other day by someone who moors at Ely. Have a good week.
I completely missed the flying angels in the church. I will have to check them out on the way back!
Why has UA-cam got better content than the BBC?
I watch much more UA-cam than normal TV now. There are some great vlogs out there! Have a wonderful week, Grumpy. 🌻🦋
The BBC is still working on appealing to the masses-aka the lowest common denominator. They have £Millions invested in their formula. UA-cam, on the other hand, has Millions of channels that appeal to a relatively smaller number of viewers.
@@johnd7904 The BBC fail miserably then, unless you call the liberal elite the "masses".
I would never have thought a rat would eat a daisy!
It looked like it was enjoying it! Thank you for watching. Take care 🦋🌻
I’ve seen wild Canada goose injure a rat as it had young
Oh my goodness that sounds gruesome. Nature can be so cruel! Thank you for watching and commenting!🐀🦋🌻
Great video as usual,loved the poem it made me laugh P.S. don’t worry about a few bumps it is a contact sport.Take care and look forward to seeing you next week.Steve
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Steve and thank you for your kind words. Have a wonderful week!🦋🌻
The middle levels has one aquaduct over the Middle Levels Main Drain, between Outwell and Nordelph. I don't recall ever seeing a video of it and as the owner of a 11ft widebeam, it's the thing that's stopped me going on the middle levels.... 11ft or 11 f 6" ...... Can't see any accurate information on it. If you cross it, can you see if the width is signposted 🙏?
Hi Steven, I have passed over this and I am sure the film is somewhere on my camera but until I can find it, I have just checked that 11ft is the max beam. Hope this helps. Have a wonderful week!🦋🌻
@@themindfulnarrowboat thanks.... I have seen that, max beam of boat 11ft, but then read that the Aquaduct is itself 11ft wide. Ok. Thanks, enjoy this part of the world, would better if there were more public moorings, especially as now a licence fee is payable for the Middle Levels
It is a lovely part of the system and very quiet at the moment which has made mooring easier, but you are right about the need for more mooring spots.
@@themindfulnarrowboat ...but it has rats! LOL
Steven, I looked back over my footage and I couldn’t find the aqueduct film. I am having storage issues at the moment so it must have something to do with that.
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Goose Goose gander where do you wander 🤔
On the Middle Levels and off to Cambridge! Thank you for your comment and have a wonderful week!🌻🦋
Honestly V, you lost me at rats. I dislike rats. I follow Cookie Lyon's advice: "Never discuss cheese with rats, break bread with birds or make moves with snakes." LOL Happy trails!
John, how could you not be charmed by the beautiful rodent eating a daisy? Do you like common seals? Got one right next to my boat at the moment and it’s spent the day with me! Hope you are keeping well. Take care🦋🌻
@@themindfulnarrowboat I'm easily not charmed by rats. Now seals are another matter entirely.
Well then hopefully you’ll prefer the next vlog!