Mosses

Redshank, Little Woolden Moss

I'd recovered enough from the annual fit of sneezing that accompanies the start of the serious grass-cutting season to go for a proper walk but not enough to make an early start of it so I headed out for a lunchtime stroll over the Salford mosses. It was a cloudy day and would have been uncomfortably muggy had a cooling breeze not been blowing across the fields.

Astley Road 

I got the train into Irlam and walked up Astley Road. The Zinnia Close spadgers were much in evidence in the hedgerows at the bottom of the road, almost as much as the greenfinches and goldfinches further up. There were plenty of woodpigeons about, either clattering about in the treetops or feeding in the fields. The singing whitethroats, of which there were many, were hard work to actually see. It turned out that most of them were singing from the ditches and near the ground in the field margins.

The Jack Russell's gate
I've not seen him lately 

A buzzard flew low overhead just after the Jack Russell's gate, heading for Cadishead Moss. Less than a minute later a different buzzard flew low overhead in the opposite direction carrying some small mammal in its claws. I guess they have a nest on the go somewhere in Irlam. A lapwing was holding a territory over the fallow field by Prospect Grange but for all his display flying he didn't seem to have a partner. A yellowhammer was singing in the company of umpteen goldfinches and a dozen greenfinches.

The turf fields on the other side of the motorway were littered with starlings, most of them hungry youngsters wanting feeding. A few lapwings and woodpigeons were dotted about and magpies commuted between the trees and fields. Dozens of swallows hawked low over the fields, about a dozen house martins flew around at treetop height and a few swifts wheeled about high in the sky.

Grey partridges, Chat Moss

Approaching Four Lanes End there were pairs of oystercatchers and grey partridges in the fields and curlews flew low over the trees by Little Woolden Moss. I noticed that the moorhens in the pond across from the stables had some chicks in tow. Willow warblers sang from the trees by the stables.

Natural England sign, Astley Road 

I noticed that the fields by Four Lanes End are being managed by Natural England as part of the new national nature reserve that was announced the other month. I hadn't seen any dragonflies yet today. The track between Four Lanes End and Little Woolden Moss usually comes trumps in this sort of weather and sure enough there were lots of large red damselflies patrolling the vegetation along the drains. At least two whitethroats were holding territories in the nettles in these drains.

Green tiger beetle, Little Woolden Moss

Little Woolden Moss was in a generous mood again. The trees at the entrance were noisy with singing willow warblers, robins, wrens and whitethroats. Woodpigeons and swallows flew overhead and black-headed gulls called from the pools. 

Little Woolden Moss 

The most immediately conspicuous birds by the pools were the usual family of carrion crows and the lapwings keeping them away from nest sites. Two pairs of lapwings escorted a buzzard away from the nature reserve. On the water, besides more lapwings, pairs of Canada geese and oystercatchers dozed, goldfinches collected willow cotton for nesting materials and pied wagtails and meadow pipits foraged on the bunds. A lone drake shoveler slept in the middle of the pool, which I hope means the duck was sitting on eggs somewhere under cover.

Redshank, Little Woolden Moss

A redshank was being very noisy and I couldn't see why so I assumed it was me and kept walking. It was soon joined by another and they kept barracking until I'd reached the point where the hide used to be. Looking back I could see why they were concerned as redshank chicks swam in the opposite direction to their parents' distraction displays.

Redshank chicks, Little Woolden Moss

Cotton grass, Little Woolden Moss

Over on the Eastern pools there were more lapwings and oystercatchers, a pair of little ringed plovers skittered about between the pools, and a hobby sat in a tree on the far side away from the paths. A yellow wagtail flew past but didn't stop.

By Little Woolden Hall 

The cloud cover had grown thicker and heavier and the walk more uncomfortable despite the cool breeze. I was starting to feel weary with it so knocked on the head any ideas of having a meandering wall through Great Woolden Moss and back into Irlam and headed for Glazebrook instead. I walked down past the barley fields by Little Woolden Hall. Dozens of swallows and a few sand martins were hawking low over the fields though everything went quiet when an unseasonal female merlin shot by. There was a yellow wagtail with the pied wagtails and donkeys in the field by the hall. A hare shot off from the roadside and disappeared beyond the donkeys.

Yellow wagtail, Little Woolden Moss

Canada geese loafed on the banks of the Glaze. I looked in vain for a grey wagtail to complete the set. Instead I found a mallard with an abundance of ducklings and pairs of gadwall and tufted ducks.

Mallard, Glaze Brook by Little Woolden Hall

I walked down into Glazebrook. Whitethroats held court in the hawthorns in the fields and there seemed to be a lot of blue tits and great tits about. A kestrel hovered over a field by the motorway, they were notably absent on Chat Moss today. It wasn't until I got into Glazebrook that I heard the first chiffchaffs of the day. Glazebrook, as always, seemed to have more than it's fair share of collared doves on its rooftops.

I nipped back over the Glaze into Cadishead and got the 67 back as far as Patricroft Bridge and got the next bus back into the Trafford Centre after a pretty good few hours' birdwatching.