Stretford and Urmston

Goldcrest

After a lazy morning where I decided to bin the planned outing because I couldn't be doing with a long train ride I bobbed over to Longford Park.

Grey squirrel

Squirrels and woodpigeons were busy in the leaves under the trees in the park, pretty much oblivious to passers-by. A couple of mixed tit flocks worked their ways high up in the trees, a third was doing the rounds of the conifers in the rock garden.

Longford Park

One conifer had four goldcrests flitting about in the gloom of its lower branches. One male broke off from feeding every so often to make sure the others knew it was boss.

An uncooperative goldcrest

I moved on to Rye Bank Fields which was pretty quiet save for a flock of house sparrows in the hedge by the sports stadium and yet another mixed tit flock at the North end.

Rather than retracing my steps I was going to get the 15 bus from The Quadrant back to Stretford but then changed my mind and stayed on the bus down to Woodsend to visit Davyhulme Millennium Nature Reserve. I've not been before so this was by way of a reconnaissance.

Davyhulme Millennium Nature Reserve

After a false start finding my way in I spent an hour doing a circuit of the reserve. It's one of those "left behind" corners of land bounded by the Manchester Ship Canal, Davyhulme water treatment works and a housing estate. Most of it is wooded parkland with a few small ponds dotted about. The sun was getting low so I didn't follow the path down to the canal this time.

Davyhulme Millennium Nature Reserve

It was late in the afternoon so there wasn't a lot of activity: the usual woodland subjects, including a great spotted woodpecker, and a few mallard on the large wooded pond near the entrance. I'll come back for another look soon, it's pretty easy to get to by bus.