Narrowboat moored by hen

The Black Country Living Museum has welcomed a new resident – a moorhen discovered nesting in the back of one of the attraction’s narrowboats.

The bird has made its nest in coiled ropes on the deck of Nansen II and was a surprise find for skipper Joe Hollingshead when he turned up to prepare the boat for its summer season of trips.

He told the Express & Star: “I stepped on the boat and then noticed there was a pile of twigs at the back – I thought someone was winding me up. Then I realised there was a moorhen nesting there. It jumped into the water and eyed me up for a bit.”

The Nansen II will now have to remain moored up until the bird’s nine eggs have hatched later in the summer.

However, Mr Hollingshead remains confident it will not mean he will have to put off his summer boat trips which start on May 1.

He said: “I think they should have hatched by then so it should be full steam ahead for the summer.”

Fellow skipper at the Black Country Living Museum Dave Newell said: “It is a bit unusual really to find a nest in your boat. I am sure he thought it was a wind-up.”

The moorhen is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling bird that is usually found near water.

From a distance it looks black with a ragged white line along its body. Up close it is actually olive-brown on the back and head and underneath is blue-grey. It has a red bill with a yellow tip.

It breeds in the UK in lowland areas, especially in central and eastern England.