Boats on the canal (10)

Very happy to see this yesterday, Hamster is the name and it appears to be a working barge complete with it's own mechanical digger. Perhaps for canal maintenance?

Perry Barr locks visitor facilities

Graffiti under the bridge

Generally is plenty of graffiti under the canal bridges in Brum!

Mind how you go

If you are heading along the Tame Valley Canal near Salford Junction make sure you are watching where you are going, there is a slight obstacle in the way!

Bird life (4) : Heron

Correct me if i am wrong but isn't this a heron?

Bird life (3) : Goose Armada

An armada of geese heading from the Birmingham & Fazeley and onto the Grand Union at Salford Junction.

Bird life (2) : Geese and cat

One danger from canal walking is coming across an armada of geese. In this photo we see some geese invading a picnic spot at a fast food restaurant on the Birmingham & Fazeley. The cat is gingerly making it's way through this hazardous environment!

Bird life (1) : Two little ducks

Of course a canal attracts wild life, especially birds. A little series of some of the latter.

Star City visitor moorings

As seen on the Grand Union, you can stop for a bit, see a film, then chug away!

Boats on the canal (9)

Seen on the Grand Union in Nechells on Sunday.

More Tame Valley pics

I am definately on a roll, i took some more photos along the Tame Valley canal today, from Deykin Avenue to Brookvale Rd Bridge which is not a stretch i walk along much. Its a bit of a buddleia alley, but at least its not Japanese Knot weed, which is spreadingly alarmingly through parts of Perry Barr, Erdington and Aston i visit from time to time.

Gas holders

I'm proud of this photo, taken yesterday, of 2 gas holders reflected in the waters of the Grand Union.

Grand Union Canal from Wharton St to Heartlands Parkway bridge

Felt inspired this morning to explore a little further along the Grand Union canal this morning so went from Wharton St up to the bridge carrying the Heartlands Parkway with my camera of course. Some great industrial decay on show!

Star City as seen from the canal

Near the junction of the Grand Union and Birmingham & Fazeley canals.

Tame Valley Lock 11

Tame Valley in Autumn

Took some pics along the Tame Valley Canal (for a change), autumn is really hitting now.

In the countryside... or Brum?

A nice rural setting... or is it? Appearances can be misleading, we are still in the Birmingham area more or less up by the Birmingham & Fazeley canal in Minworth. Behind the camera is a sewage works and other more industrial things.

Junctions (2) : Salford Junction

A big junction is this, the Tame Valley & Grand Union canals both terminate here where they meet the Birmingham & Fazeley. If that is not enough transport fun you have Salford Circus, the Gravelly Hill Interchange, the Birmingham cross-city railway line and the River Tame all crossing here too!

Junctions (1) : Rushall Junction

A few photos showing where canals meet. This one is where the Rushall Canal meets the Tame Valley Canal.

Boats on the canal (8)

Another tethered boat, this time at Cuckoo's Wharf, but this one seems to be listing a bit!

Under the Spaghetti

I took some photos yesterday underneath the Gravelly Hill Interchange a.k.a. Spaghetti Junction. Of course the Tame Valley Canal terminates there at Salford Junction though i didn't venture that far. Most of the photos are of concrete flyovers but there are a few of the canal in this photo set.

Boats on the canal (7)

Photoed on the Birmingham & Fazeley on Saturday. The owner seems to be out.

Boats on the canal (6)

Birmingham & Fazeley again, just before Salford Junction. I managed to get this photo of a boat juxtapositioned against the stark industrial landscape in that part of Nechells (or Erdington, its on the boundary). Old and new-ish. Of course ideally we'd want a photo of a canal boat and a wind turbine.

Boats on the canal (5)

As i've already said seeing boats on the Tame Valley Canal seems fairly rare, this was the first one i ever saw on there in fact, taken with my camera phone so the picture isn't that good!

Latest photoshoot - The Boat to Wiggins Hill

Here are photos from my latest canal walk, on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal from The Boat pub, Old Kingsbury Rd, to Wiggins Hill Bridge. The photos were taken yesterday, a rather cloudy and blustery day. Quite different from the last time i walked this stretch back in July!

Boats on the canal (4)

Birmingham & Fazeley Canal again however this one is taken in Aston near to Cuckoo's Wharf.

Boats on the canal (3)

Months later but possibly the same boat and the same canal anyway. This was taken from Wiggins Hill Bridge.

Boats on the canal (2)

Another canal boat, this one on the Birmingham & Fazeley canal which runs very close to where i live. In fact this location is virtually on my door step... well 50m away maybe. There are definately more boats on this canal than the Tame Valley!

Boats on the canal (1)

Despite walking along canals nearly every day seeing a boat on the canal is still fairly uncommon, but then again on the Tame Valley traffic is less than some other canals i believe. Here is a short series of boats i have seen. First up a photo i was waiting for the opportunity to take for some time, a canal boat heading towards Salford Junction and about to be swallowed up by the Spaghetti Junction!