Pottering about

Sunset, Chorlton Water Park

I had all sorts of plans for today and set my alarm early for them. Then I thought I'd spend the morning having a good cough instead.

I decided not to waste a nice day so I had a wander round my local patch. Still plenty of blackbirds about. There were six mistle thrushes on the playing field and four song thrushes, three of them singing in the trees. Other than that it was a bit quiet with just odd ones and two of the usual suspects kicking about in the trees. Strangely enough there were no gulls, usually there's a dozen or so with more overhead.

Robin, Barton Clough

I decided to move on so got the bus over to Chorlton for what became a late afternoon stroll around Chorlton Water Park. The ring-necked parakeets were noisily coming in to roost in the alders as I arrived and the small passerines were settling down in the undergrowth.

Ring-necked parakeet, Chorlton Water Park

The highlights on the lake were a trio of goosander, two redheads and a drake, well out in the water. Plenty of tufted ducks and gadwall about but just singles of shoveler, great crested grebe and dabchick. As the sun set the black-headed gulls moved off to roost at Sale Water Park and the Canada geese came in from who knows where.

Goosander, Chorlton Water Park

 Finishing the circuit round the lake I was treated to a rather lovely moonrise.

Moonrise, Chorlton Water Park