Stockport

Bullfinch, Rose Hill Marple Station

I decided that as today's weather was forecast to be wet and windy I'd use it as an opportunity to go a bit further afield, the idea being that there'd be a few less people about so I'd feel a bit less windy about it. So I went into Manchester to get my first monthly travel card for three months, nipped on to Stockport and then got the bus to Compstall for a walk round Etherow Country Park. The first two steps went fine, they're both ten minute train rides. The bus ride however… it turned out that there's some roadworks or something going on at Compstall so the bus was only going as far as Marple then turned round and went back to Stockport. So I got off the bus at Rose Hill, Marple Station for a train back into Manchester (because I didn't fancy dragging back into the centre of Stockport).

While I was waiting for the train I discovered that the birds at this station are ridiculously tame (or else they decided that seeing as I was still wearing a mask I couldn't be a real person). A pair of bullfinches fed on bramble buds on the other side of the line. Great tits, blue tits and robins foraged amongst the flowerpots on the platform. A dunnock and a wren sang from the brambles.

Not the planned excursion but quite a pleasant afternoon in the end. And now I've got my travel card I can start going out to some quieter birdwatching sites.

Bullfinch, Rose Hill Marple Station