MOST of us will have seen birds nesting in those tyres that some boaters use as fenders, but they carry the risk of putting a stop to your boating!
One boater, having moored for a few days on the summit pound of the Grand Union Canal in one place, found that a coot had nested in his tyre fender, which caused great problems for Canal & River Trust, whose rules contradicted each other, writes Our Man on the Summit.
Had to move but not allowed
The boater eventually reached his time limit at the mooring and was told by the CaRT enforcement officer that he had to move. But then he showed the man the coot nesting in his fender, which was reported with the result that a CaRT nature man told him that wildlife rules forbid him to disturb the nesting bird so he could not move under any circumstances.
So the enforcement officer had to back-down, agreeing that the boat could stay there until the young had flown, though he was not amused seeing the boat now stuck way over its limited time.
Worse to come
But worse was to come, when it was realised that coots—as we all know(?)—have two clutches of eggs one immediately after the other. The young birds left the nest to be replaced by more eggs!
CaRT had run out of rules by this time, so a plan was hatched ’twixt the coot boat and a new moorer. The tyre was gently moved to the new boat, the original nesting boat moved off and peace was restored on the summit!
Until of course it became time for the new boat to move....