Stockport

Glossy ibis, Cheadle Hulme

As my train stopped at Trafford Park Station I noticed a pair of magpies have started building a nest in one of the trees that's already got three magpies' nests in it. They'd got as far as laying a triangular base with three robust sticks and a bit of twiggy filling.

I was set on going out on a wild goose chase when I noticed that the glossy ibis that had been reported in Cheadle Hulme had been seen again this morning. A change of plan was easy enough: when I arrived at Oxford Road I crossed the platform and got the Norwich train into Stockport then five minutes' walk to the bus stop for the 313.

Glossy ibis, Cheadle Hulme, from the bus stop

As the bus approached my stop at The Pointing Dog on Grove Lane I glanced out of the window and got another year tick. Not quite the softest twitch I've ever been on (your average glossy ibis doesn't have the cocky laryness of a hooded crow sitting at a bus stop), but a refreshing change from my recent form.

The ibis was in the middle of a small, damp field and obviously finding rich pickings in the grass. Every so often it would stamp its feet to coax up the earthworms, with a fair degree of success.

I walked down Longsight Lane to try and get a better view and joined a few birders at the end of the hedgerow looking over the low fence. Any concerns I may have had about our spooking the ibis were unfounded, it even decided to come a bit closer where the sun had thawed the ground out the better. A very nice close view of a very nice bird. As I was walking back a chap in a car stopped and asked: "Is it showing well?" "Oh yes," I replied.

Glossy ibis, Cheadle Hulme

Glossy ibis, Cheadle Hulme

Glossy ibis, Cheadle Hulme

Glossy ibis, Cheadle Hulme

Glossy ibis, Cheadle Hulme

It was still only just lunchtime so I decided to bob over to Etherow Country Park for a couple of hours' wander. It was a bright, sunny day so the car park was packed but five minutes' walk lost the crowds. A flock of about sixty black-headed gulls circled high over the car park and seemed to remain there all afternoon.

Etherow Country Park

The mandarin ducks were all a bit camera shy today, I think they were looking for a bit of privacy. No joy finding any dippers or grey wagtails on the river today, possibly because the water was so high.

Ten minutes' nosy round Ernocroft Wood just found a few woodpigeons and blue tits besides the usual carrion crows.

Keg Wood, at the crest of the first dip and rise

I had an hour's wander round Keg Wood. My knee has been painful the past few nights so I thought the walk might get it back into working order or, failing that, give it something more rational to complain about than lying in a nice warm bed. It seemed to work: I negotiated the mad dip and rise by the turn-off to Keg Pool a lot easier on the way back than the way in.

Keg Wood

Keg Wood was fairly quiet, the usual big mixed tit flock near the entrance was busy on the feeders down near the weir. I could hear redwings quietly chacking amongst themselves but it was only when they flew off from the treetops and over towards Ernocroft that I actually saw them. A pair of courting stock doves were easier to spot, they were too busy to bother about being inconspicuous.

The top level path to the visitor centre

A walk back to the visitor centre by the high-level path and just in time for the bus back to Stockport. Not a bad day's birdwatching.