Mersey Valley

Had an afternoon stroll from Chorlton down through Hardy Farm, around Sale Water Park and back to Stretford through Stretford Ees. We've had a couple of week's dry weather so the path through Hardy Farm was fair underfoot, though the paths round Jackson's Boat and Sale Water Park more than made up for it in mud.

The ring-necked parakeets were very much in evidence. This is one of a pair making themselves known to passers-by at Jackson's Boat

A couple of ring-necked parakeets were screeching their way through the garden treetops next to Hardy Farm, a flock of a dozen wheeled over Chorlton Ees, a pair lurked noisily in the car park at Jackson's Boat, another pair were working their way through the willows at Sale Water Park and a couple more were settling down to roost in the ash trees at Stretford Ees. I guess it's only a matter of time before they turn up our way.

Hardy Farm being relatively dry the usual heron wasn't by the path. The river was back down to normal levels, with a conspicuous tide mark six feet up the banks.

Willow tit. Sale Water Park
This one's got a light patch at the base of its bill that's unnervingly like the diagnostic white spot on the bill of a marsh tit. Luckily it called so I couldn't second-guess myself as to its identification.

Willow tit. Sale Water Park
This one had a very tatty head, possibly suffering from mites or similar parasites.

I waited awhile by the café at Sale Water Park hoping to pick up some willow tits at the feeders. My wait was the longer because a couple decided to have their kids stand underneath the feeder to see what birds came along. The moment they went the feeder was invaded by blue and great tits, robins and dunnocks. After a few minutes a couple of willow tits came along, together with a nuthatch. Not one of them turned a hair when the buzzard perched in the willows just behind launched itself over the café pursued by a couple of carrion crows.

Tufted ducks and black-headed gull, Sale Water Park

Sale Water Park hosted dozens of the usual trinity — coot, gadwall and tufted duck — and fifty-odd black-headed gulls loafed on the water. Further out there was a small raft of large gulls, mostly lesser black-backs of various ages with a couple of herring gulls and a near-adult yellow-legged gull. As they flew off, disturbed by jet skiers, I spotted a first-Winter yellow-legged gull that I'd missed.

Broad Ees Dole

Broad Ees Dole was very quiet, despite numerous offerings in the bushes to the Dog Shit Fairy. A female goosander was sitting in the middle of the pool, which gave me something to point out to a family of kids that came into the hide. I loaned them my bins to have a better look but they were more interested in the dead mute swan in the background. A handful of shoveler swam out of the trees and that, together with a couple of coots and a heron, was that.