Stalybridge

Grey wagtail, Walkerwood Reservoir

Looking out at the hissing rain I was almost relieved that the black-winged stilt that turned up at Little Woolden Moss yesterday evening moved on overnight. It would have been lovely to have added that to the Greater Manchester list. Ah well.

Stalybridge Country Park 

The rain had abated a bit by lunchtime so I decided on a walk through Stalybridge Country Park and on to Brushes Reservoir where a wood warbler was reported as singing. Of course, I'd forgotten that it was a bank holiday so some services weren't running to the usual schedule. Which is why I walked from Stalybridge Station to Brushes Road and cut into the country park from the South.

Long-tailed tit, Stalybridge Country Park

It was muggy weather uncomfortable for walking. I was glad that the thin rain died down as I walked into the woods. The trees were busy with birds. Chiffchaffs and willow warblers managed to outsing the robins, blackbirds and wrens. Blue tits and great tits bounced around in the trees and long-tailed tits seemed to be carrying nest materials. There was a steady stream of black-headed gulls overhead commuting between the town and the hills.

Grey wagtail, Walkerwood Reservoir

As I reached Walkerwood Reservoir a pair of grey wagtails skittered around the reservoir overflow. I scanned the reservoir but it was empty save for three drake mallards. A very welcome cool breeze blew across the reservoir, making the walking quite pleasant.

Redpoll, Walkerwood Reservoir

The trees along Brushes Road were even busier than the country park. A pair of redpolls were amongst the blue tits, great tits and dunnocks in one of the oak trees along the way. A pair of ravens indulged in synchronised soaring high above the hill. Looking over the hillside fields a few whitethroats singing in the hawthorns added to the songscape.

Stalybridge Country Park from the dam at Walkerwood Reservoir 

Walkerwood Reservoir 

By Brushes Reservoir 

The gardens by Brushes Cottages were noisy with redpolls, goldfinches, woodpigeons and a wood warbler. The warbler sang in the depths of a holly bush for a few minutes then started calling — it struck me the call was very much like the warning noise of a reversing truck. I looked around to see what was alarming the warbler and couldn't see anything that wasn't me so I moved on. The trees along the road here were just as busy as those by Walkerwood Reservoir, especially beyond the cottages where the hillside is wooded. 

By Brushes Reservoir 

I seriously considered carrying on beyond the Swineshaw reservoirs and down into Tintwistle but that would have doubled the length of the walk and I wasn't sure that the Mottram buses were running. I decided to retrace my steps down Brushes Road as far as the Walkerwood dam then take the track down to Besom Lane and thence into Stalybridge and back home.

I didn't hear the wood warbler on the way back but I added a nuthatch and a pair of bullfinches to the day's tally. 

Brushes Road

Walkerwood Reservoir 

I bumped into a chap walking after the wood warbler. I told him where I'd heard it and, after we'd had a long yarn, I wished him luck and moved on. I hope he got it.

Walkerwood Reservoir 

I'll have to have a go at the walk to Tintwistle one day when the buses are running normally and the weather's a bit fresher.