Bickershaw Country Park

Common darter

I had numerous plans for today and couldn't be bothered with any of them so I ended up dragging myself out for an afternoon walk. I drifted over to Leigh after conceding that a low energy day isn't the one for that walk down through Astley Moss to Chat Moss and found myself walking down to Bickershaw Country Park for a long wander round the lake.

Heron

The Canada geese and mallards were loafing at the car park end of the lake, as usual, with a few coots. A couple of chiffchaffs squeaked in the trees with a few twittering goldfinches, pretty much all there was in the way of small birds by the lake this afternoon except for some reed buntings on the other side where the lake meets the meadows. A heron lurked in the depths of the bank and a family of great crested grebes with a surprisingly young (and very noisy) chick cruised in and out of the reed margins.

By the lake

Brown hawkers patrolled the lake margins while common darters littered the pathways. The speckled woods in the bushes were in a feisty mood and a couple of them tried their best to see me on my way, one of them getting too excited and hitting me in the face.

Mostly ragworts with a lot of eyebright, sneezewort and knapweeds in the mix.

Out on the meadows woodpigeons and lesser black-backs flew overhead and a willow warbler called from a stand of birches. A family of great tits worked the trees by the path and a wren scolded as I passed by.

A Southern hawker circled one of the small pools by the path and yet more common darters zipped around.

The heather was buzzing with bees and hoverflies.

I took the path that rejoins the path around the lake and finished the circuit. A quiet hour-and-a-bit's walk on a sunny, if cool, Summer's day.