Due to the weather, holidays, but mostly complete apathy, the river and this blog have been neglected for nearly two months.
So it is interesting to return to see what has changed - the most obvious is the wooden footbridge has been for health and safety reasons.
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Another obvious change is the growth of the river fauna - the sedges, reeds and nettles making access to the river very limited.
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The plants alongside the river aren't the only ones that are growing, back in May the Ock Meadow was under water, now the barley will soon be ready to be harvested
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With the increase in the river plants and the closure of the footbridge, it can be difficult to see any wildlife. But the banded demoiselles are out in force, including this female:
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And a pair of swans have also moved in, but do not appear to be trying to establish a nest.
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And where it is possible to gain access to there are evidence of nocturnal activity, including this intriguing five toed footprint - a visiting otter perhaps?
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During a recent jaunt through the peak district, it seemed appropriate to pay a pilgrimage to Cromford Canal, the mecca for water voles - a lot of TV footage of the voles has been filmed on the canal.
Part of the Derwent Valley Mills world heritage site, it fell into disrepair (like a lot of canals) in the mid 1900's and more recently part of it has become a special site of scientific interest:
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Although there were no water vole sightings when we visited, there were other animals of interest - such as little grebes
These are migrant visitors to the Ock, often just staying for a short while, before moving on. The then can be incredibly difficult to photograph, as they spend virtually all their time underwater, only appearing for a fraction of a second to take a gulp of air, before diving back to continue what seems like an endless search for food.
However, the little grebe on Cromford Canal was more obliging, as it had a chick to feed:
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A fish that is rumoured to live on the Ock and the scourge of water voles and young water fowl is the pike, this was evident as the water is a lot clearer in the canal and was just floating rather ominously next to a family of small coots
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One thing Cromford Canal has which most other water vole hotspots doesn't is a splendid cafe. Where it is possible to enjoy the local wildlife (especially the ducks) whilst sheltering front the frequent rain showers that occur near the peak district.
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