Cholrton

Ring-necked parakeet, Hardy Farm

Taking advantage of a mostly-dry afternoon for a stroll through Hardy Farm and down to Chorlton Water Park. A day's strong winds and heavy rain had stripped the leaves off many of the trees in the more exposed areas and wading gingerly through deep puddles was the order of the day.

A troupe of parakeets made a racket as they flew into one of the ash trees next to the football pitch by Hardy Farm. Watching them lurking disconsolately up there it occurred to me to wonder once again what they find to eat once all the berries and ash keys have been accounted for by early Winter. There were plenty of jays and magpies kicking about, perhaps the parakeets learn where to find the acorns the jays forget. None of them were remotely concerned by the buzzard lazily making its way over to Chorlton Ees.

A juvenile heron was fossicking round in the puddles by the path.

Juvenile heron, Hardy Farm

The River Mersey at Jackson's Boat. There's usually four or five feet of bank below that first grassed terrace.

The river by Jackson's Boat was alarmingly high, and looked like it had recently been a couple of feet higher. Almost as many mallards were dabbling in the puddles in the grass as were on the river itself (it was probably a lot less hard work for them). Just by the tram bridge they were joined by a grey wagtail and further down there was a flock of Canada geese. Walking down to towards Chorlton Water Park a female goosander flew downriver and a cormorant flew upriver. I expected to see more given the weather and the time of year but these were the only ones today.

Barlow Tip

Barlow Tip was a tad damp. A couple of mixed tit flocks worked their way through the trees then disappeared sharply as a male sparrowhawk sailed through. His appearance spooked a small flock of redwings which set off across the river for the golf course.

It started raining again at this point, which is starting to be a pattern. The west end of Chorlton Water Park was very quiet, both in the trees and on the water. Further along there was a couple of dozen black-headed gulls and a similar number of coots. Just a handful of gadwall and one each of shoveler and tufted duck, which doesn't feel right somehow. Possibly they were having better pickings over at Sale Water Park.

A small mixed flock of goldfinches and siskins were working their way through the alders next to the fishing piers. The light was shocking so all my attempts at getting photos of them turned out like those Czech children's cartoons that were all strange shapes and silhouettes.

Siskins in alders

Chorlton Water Park