Mosses

Kestrel, Chat Moss

Today's plans were derailed by cancelled trains again so I decided on a wander across the Salford Mosses.

I got the train to Irlam and walked up Astley Road. It seems odd to be saying it was very, very quiet when there were literally hundreds of woodpigeons about and probably a hundred swallows. A couple of small flocks of goldfinches twitted in the trees near the Jack Russell's gate, I disturbed a couple of blackbirds and wrens, a greenfinch flew over, a chaffinch bathed in one of yesterday's puddles. And that was pretty much it. 

Chat Moss 

There weren't even many butterflies, and nearly all those were large whites (the other two were speckled woods). The only bird of prey was a kestrel hovering over the stables near Four Lanes End. Even for this time of year it was very, very quiet.

Kestrel, Chat Moss

As I approached Little Woolden Moss I heard the contact call of a whitethroat from deep in the willowherbs in the drain by the path and a willow warbler calling from the willows by the car park. A mixed flock of swallows and house martins flew low over and headed over the moss. The only buzzard of the day flew low over the trees and headed off towards Astley Moss.

There was a handful more willow warblers to be heard and seen on Little Woolden Moss. A few linnets flew about, a couple of reed buntings fossicked in the scrub, more woodpigeons flew overhead and the family of carrion crows were bouncing round on what little damp mud was left after the dry weather. It took an age to find the one and only pied wagtail, a youngster still looking a bit brown about the wings. At one point three kestrels hovered over the moss, at least one of which was a juvenile bird. They went their separate ways, two flying towards Glazebury, the third heading for Astley Road. I walked round to Little Woolden Hall without adding to the day's tally. 

Female common darter, Little Woolden Moss

Although there weren't many butterflies about there were plenty of dragonflies. It was slow going at first, just a few black darters buzzing round the path. Things picked up a lot when I got to the junction with the path to New Moss Lane. Brown and common hawkers patrolled the tops of the bracken. A couple of common hawkers came up and gave me the eyeball, it's very unsettling to have a large dragonfly hovering at the tip of your nose. One settled on my chest for a while like some mad art deco brooch. Common darters joined the black darters along the path, when they weren't chasing each other round the heather. A female common blue damselfly had me puzzled for a bit, I usually identify them by the company they keep and I'm not good at picking up the ID points quickly.

Male common darter, Little Woolden Moss

Walking past Little Woolden Hall I kept one eye on the trajectories of the model aeroplanes doing spins and stalls over the field by the path and the other on the flock of swallows hawking over the fields and returning to nests in a disused stable. Linnets and goldfinches fed on thistledown and a handful of pied wagtails bounced and chased each other around a field of horses.

By Little Woolden Hall 

I walked down to Glazebrook — more woodpigeons, swallows and house martins — and got the train home. It had been a very nice three hours' walk, albeit with a less than spectacular bit of birdwatching.

Little Woolden Moss from Holcombe Lane