Across the Mersey

Buzzard, Carrington Moss

I needed a walk today so I decided to go through Cow Kiln Wood and on towards Carrington.

Cob Kiln Wood

Cow Kiln Wood was noisy with birds, mostly chiffchaffs, whitethroats, wrens and song thrushes. Great tits and blue tits moved quietly through the hedgerows and robins skittered round the paths. I could hear a stock dove singing near the usual field of horses but I was damned if I could see it. A pair of jays were unusually quiet; I recognised one that shadowed me from the paddocks to the electricity pylons by the gap in one of its wings where it had lost a couple of primary feathers.

Banky Lane

I crossed the river onto Banky Lane. More of the same woodland birds, though with a higher proportion of chiffchaffs and goldfinches. The wet woodland behind the fence looked drier than usual, despite last week's rain. A moorhen was the only water bird to be seen on here (ironically, a pair of mallard were feeding noisily in the field on the opposite side of the path).

I crossed Carrington Lane and took the path  fringing the margin of Carrington Moss and leading to Isherwood Road. The section of path going through the trees was quiet of anything that wasn't a blackcap or a wren. 

Yellowhammer, Carrington Moss

Yellowhammers, Carrington Moss

Yellowhammers and goldfinch, Carrington Moss

Out over the fields a sedge warbler sang from the ditch and goldfinches and yellowhammers pulled dandelion clocks to pieces on the path. It was good to see a young yellowhammer amongst the flock. There were only a couple of skylarks singing and no meadow pipits at all. A pair of buzzards soared around each other over the trees by the riding school. It wasn't until I'd got to the hedges by the rugby pitch that the first swallows appeared, feeding low over the fields. The wind picked up and the clouds darkened and the swallows were joined by a couple of house martins and a flock of sand martins that seemed as intent on chasing each other as any flying insects. 

Carrington Moss

I looked again at the weather that was blowing in and took the hint. Instead of carrying on through Carrington Moss I walked up into Carrington and got the buses home.