Manchester

Pin Mill Brow 

It was early afternoon as I got off the train at Piccadilly and I thought I should try and do something with it but without travelling far so I left by the Fairfield Street exit, headed up towards Great Ancoats Street and just after the last of the railway arches I turned onto Helmet Street. 

Helmet Street 

The River Medlock runs alongside Helmet Street but you can't see much of it and what little you can see is obscured by fly-tipping. The trees were busy with goldfinches and woodpigeons and noisy with song thrushes and blackbirds. I got to the end of the street and onto Great Ancoats Street where you can get a better view of the river. There have been times when I've seen dippers and grey wagtails here, today I just saw robins and wrens.

Pin Mill Brow 

I crossed over and took the path along the river at Pin Mill Brow. This is a tiny patch of riverside woodland in the city centre, half an hour's stroll if you really, really dawdle. There were yet more woodpigeons and goldfinches, chiffchaffs and blackcaps tried to make themselves heard over the song thrushes and blackbirds, and great tits and wrens rummaged in the undergrowth. The surprise catch was a garden warbler singing deep in the trees by the housing estate.

River Medlock 

Looking out over the river from the bridge on Palmerston Street I could see no dippers or wagtails but a moorhen showed there was still some life in the river.

I didn't fancy the walk into Holt Town and Beswick so I walked back down and got the bus home from Piccadilly Gardens.