Barging in on a waterhen

I WAS down at the canal helping friends move a barge which had been moored on the same spot for some time.

As we eased it from the bank we revealed a floating nest in the reeds, a waterhen huddled down over four or five eggs.

This presented us with a problem. Up to now the nest had been well concealed by the tall, steel side of the barge. But the nest was now very conspicuous —- open to view for all predatory birds, animals or humans.