Longendale Trail

Bullfinch

It was a cold start to the day then the fog rolled in mid-morning but by lunchtime was being burnt away by what was promising to be a lovely Winter's day. I'd been debating whether or not to renew my monthly travel card — now all the bus fares are £2.00 it's not the bargain it once was and I suspect what I lose by not being able to claim Delay Repay for cancelled trains is greater than the saving I'm making by having it. But then I thought it through; I'm saving having to do a lot of planning of fares and routes and really what I'm paying for is the convenience of being able to resort to plans B, C and through to Z without having to think about whether/not my ticket was the right one(s). And if I was getting a new travel card perhaps I should exercise that bit of flexibility and give the best boots one last hurrah before they literally fall to pieces.

Which is a long-winded way of saying I got the train to Hadfield and went for a stroll down the Longendale Trail.

Setting out on the Longendale Trail 

It was sunny but cool as I set out from Hadfield Station. It was even cooler as I joined the Longendale Trail as the sun couldn't get over the banks and the trail was soon in deep shade. The robins, blackbirds and magpies didn't mind at all though the blue tits and great tits kept to the sunshine in the tree canopies. Pairs of jackdaws and woodpigeons cosied up to each other in the trees, there were more flying over the fields and houses beyond.

The Padfield Main Road bridge 

Bottoms Reservoir 

Passing Bottoms Reservoir I could see a raft of black-headed gulls in midwater and there was a large flock of Canada geese begging for scraps over on the far side. A small flock of bullfinches — three males and a female — flew from a bramble patch by the path and started feeding on the buds at the top of one of the ash trees by the field wall.

I think that hill's Peak Naze

There were jackdaws and mistle thrushes in the fields with the sheep and long-tailed tits, chaffinches and more bullfinches in the hedgerows by the path as I approached Valehouse Reservoir. A pair of jays screeched at each other in the large trees but didn't come out into the open. Looking down onto the reservoir it was easier to see where the ducks had been than where they were: a dozen mallards and at least two tufted ducks were nestling down by the near bank, betrayed by the wakes of their swimming there.

Passing Rhodeswood Reservoir 

It was a lot quieter as I walked by Rhodeswood Reservoir. There were still birds about but fewer and quieter, except for a couple of great tits and a nuthatch. I'd been hearing siskins in the distance for most of the walk, I only saw the couple that flew high overhead here.

Torside Reservoir 

The light was low and golden as I reached Torside. Half a dozen mallards floated far out on the mirror-like water. Robins and blackbirds rummaged about by the path and carrion crows flew to their roosts.

Torside Reservoir 

I got to Torside and noticed that there was a bus back to Glossop in five minutes so I took the hint. There are only three buses a week on this route, all on a Saturday, so I'd struck very lucky. The weather had been fine, the birdwatching pretty good and the scenery ridiculously picturesque. It seemed a fitting finale for the old best boots.