We have just spent a week exploring the Llangollen Canal from Llangollen to Hurlestone on a Narrowboat.
From a birding point of view it was a bit of a washout,literally.As a relaxing holiday you could`nt ask for more.
We did see some birds in between the rain showers,the most notable being,Red Footed Falcon,Black Kite,Grey Wagtail,Spotted Flycatcher and Kingfisher.
Highlight of the week was a visit yesterday to Wixhall Moss.We wanted to see the Dragon Flies and Butterfly`s that the Moss is famous for,but unfortunately the weather was against us,although a couple of Curlew and a Reed Bunting made it worthwhile.Other birds were seen but the weather made positive I.D a problem.
On the way back to the boat I heard splashing from some Alder overhanging the Canal,on investigating I found a Buzzard trapped and partially submerged.
It was obviously exhausted and terrified.Noticing that it had the Alder firmly grasped in it`s talons we lifted the whole bush onto the bank and with some delicate manouvering with the tripod legs managed to free it.
Whilst my wife and stepson went to get a towel or similar to wrap it in,so we could check for injuries, I stayed at the site to make sure no harm would come to it.After a while it flapped it`s wings,but was obviously too waterlogged to take off.Upon noticing me it tucked its wings in and ran off down the towpath and into the undergrowth.
It will be nice,next time we see a Buzzard soaring,to think that perhaps it might be the one we saved.
I wonder what caused it to become trapped? Well done for rescuing it, certainly not an easy operation by the sound of it! 
Slightly off on a tangent, but I remember finding a swift outside the frontdoor, I obviously knew straight away there was something wrong with it. Closer inspection found cassette tape wound around one of its wings, it had become entangled whilst in the nest. I took it inside, cut the tape away, and lo and behold, off it flew.
Always a good feeling when one manages to successfully rescue a wild bird, isn't it.
[QUOTE=Stranger]We did see some birds in between the rain showers,the most notable being,Red Footed Falcon,Black Kite,Grey Wagtail,Spotted Flycatcher and Kingfisher.[/QUOTE]
I wish I had some washouts like that!