Mersey Valley

Coot, Broad Ees Dole

After yesterday's long walk I was in two minds whether or not to go for one today. An outbreak of mowing machines on the school playing field and the field on the other side of the railway decided it for me and I headed off for Stretford Meadows.

Although it was cooler, cloudier and windier today there was still enough sun for it to be pleasant walking weather. I wanted to do a count of singing chiffchaffs today so I decided to take the path skirting the cricket pitch then round and over the main mound down to the main path. There were three singing chiffchaffs today, there'll be more as Spring progresses and they'll be joined by a medley of other warblers.

Stretford Meadows

The usual kestrels and buzzard were notable by their absence. The only birds flying overhead were a couple of pairs of carrion crows and a jackdaw. 

The walk down the path along Kickety Brook and onto Stretford Ees was surprisingly quiet, though I added to my tally of singing chiffchaffs. 

Sale Water Park

I bobbed over the river onto Sale Water Park. For the first time since High Summer the lake was entirely bereft of gulls. In fact there wasn't much at all on this end of the lake: three coots, two mallard drakes and a pair of great crested grebes. Looking over to the Cow Lane end I could see the usual herd of mute swans stretched between the fishing stages and the canoe slipway and the Canada geese sitting on the slipway in the hopes of mugging any food-bearing passersby.

Broad Ees Dole was a bit livelier. A couple of pairs of Canada geese and a pair of mute swans loafed on Teal Pool while a pair of coots put a lot of effort into harassing any and all passing moorhens, which in turn worked hard at harassing each other. The pool by the hide was quiet again and the water was still high. Half a dozen teal dabbled in the litter on the far side, I could only see three dabchicks and there was just the one pair of gadwall. A couple of chiffchaffs flitted across the willows by the hide without making a sound. A female grey wagtail walking along the fence was equally silent. A chap I've seen before came into the hide, we swapped "A bit quiet todays" and he moved on. A couple of minutes later a female goosander flew in. I gave it another five minutes, decided it wasn't going to be my day for a kingfisher and made a move myself.

It had been relatively quiet, a normal weekday crowd really, but it was coming up to school kicking out time so I decided not to carry on through the water park and on to Chorlton. I decided instead to bob under the motorway and have an hour's wander round Priory Gardens before heading off home.

Priory Gardens

Priory Gardens was quietly busy with birds, only a couple of chiffchaffs making very much effort at singing. A melee of feathers and bad-tempered chirrups that bounced through a couple of hawthorns turned out to be four male great tits and a single female, the males intent on what the BirdTrack recording form describes as "Courtship and display." I made an excuse and left.

Passing under the subway at  Humphrey Park Station I bumped into the first blackcap of the day as it sang in the brambles by the line.