Wigan

Buzzard, Abram

The cricket having finished early I decided to go for a walk. I noticed that a wryneck had been reported in Abram this morning and that it had done a flit by lunchtime. That reminded me that I hadn't been for a walk that way in years. So a walk from Abram to Bamfurlong via Viridor Wood it was, then 

I got the bus to Golborne and wandered up Warrington Road. The next bus to Abram was due in half an hour, it would be quicker to walk up. I'd barely gone a hundred yards when the bus passed me. The buses on the Warrington routes make up their own schedules.

Looking towards Lightshaw Meadows

There were plenty of woodpigeons kicking about and half a dozen swallows twitted about. I looked over towards Lightshaw Meadows (one on the to-do list) and saw more woodpigeons, a resting buzzard and a heron sat in a tree. As I passed over Hey Brook I disturbed a kingfisher, the first I've seen since February.

Spot the path

At Dover Bridge I turned onto the path that goes over Hey Brook and heads off towards the West Coast Main Line. The complete absence of birdwatchers confirmed the absence of wryneck. No matter, I was there for the walk.

The pond with the moorhens

There wasn't much about in the open fields save a few magpies and reed buntings. Things changed in the little wooded area around the pond. More magpies and reed buntings but also a mixed tit flock of blue, great and long-tailed tits with a couple of chiffchaffs and a willow warbler. A couple of moorhens fed amongst the reeds while the tit flock worked its way through the trees. The first of many common hawkers patrolled the reeds and a couple of common darters lurked in the undergrowth.

Viridor Wood

I walked down to the underpass below the railway line accompanied by more hawkers and darters and passed through into Viridor Wood. It was late teatime by now so fairly quiet, just a flock of woodpigeons and odd carrion crows, magpies and jays. I skirted the wood, there was no point going in deep as I wouldn't have heard any bird calls for the racket further along. It was either Bamfurlong's Bank Holiday Hell's Angels rally or a competitive event involving two hundred garden waste shredders, either way I wasn't for heading towards it so toddled off to Bryn Gates for the bus into Wigan.