Aylestone Nature Reserve

As part of one of the 'almost but not quite last minute jobs to do in a sketchbook before the deadline' (which is tomorrow! Yikes!) I had to find a third place I had never been to to draw and take photos of. It had to relate to my natural theme and be within walking distance from my house....hmmmm.
In the end I decided to take yet another stroll along the canal, this time going further than ever before!!! I ended up at Aylestone Meadows Nature Reserve which was actually quite pretty. Getting there was hairier than anticipated though as I was nearly fallen on by a drunk who was weaving rather precariously along the tow path (considering it was only about 11 in the morning) and then there were some very strange men leaping around off bridges into the canal (one of the Rugby lads gave his flat a strange sickness bug after jumping in the canal a few weeks back so I'm not sure how wise this was) which they seemed to be enjoying enormously.
Anyway, the sun was out and I was thoroughly enjoying some exploration time, pretending to be in an unexplored jungle where you could be eaten at any moment by a vicious wild duck!!

Lots of pretty wildlife around too at the moment- well, when the sun comes out!!