Moore

Moore Nature Reserve 

It was a bright and sunny, and decidedly cool, day. I'd a few errands to do so it was early afternoon before I could take advantage of it. A yellow-browed warbler has been reported at Moore Nature Reserve so I decided to head over there for a change. It was vanishingly unlikely I'd see the warbler — imagine trying to find one specific sparrow in your back garden then make it the size of a coal tit then give it a bad case of the fidgets and then multiply the odds against you by several hundred — but it's a pleasant walk and don't look, don't see.

The sun had done its work and it felt quite mild when I got the train to Warrington. At the bus station I got the 12 to Gainsborough Road (the X30 stops there, too). I should explain that Google Maps is not your friend here, it insists that the only way into Moore Nature Reserve is through Moore Village. It isn't. This afternoon I walked down the stretch of the Transpennine Way running alongside a remnant of the Runcorn and Latchford Canal to the Mersey Viaducts then left the Transpennine Way, taking the path immediately to the left that runs parallel to the railway and into the reserve.

By the Runcorn and Latchford Canal
Taken from Chester Road.

I crossed Chester Road, walked over the bridge and took the steps down to the path running between the canal and the Mersey. This area is thickly wooded and was still damp underfoot after the recent rains. Robins sang, magpies and woodpigeons barged around. The canalside vegetation is so thick it's difficult to see it as a canal, and it wasn't easy to see many of the mallards and moorhens I kept hearing on it. I had no chance of seeing the Cetti's warbler singing by it. 

By the Runcorn and Latchford Canal 

I had a lot more chance with the jays flying about and, eventually, with the mixed tit flock bouncing through the willows. Ideally you want to stand where a tit flock is going to be and have them come to you so you get to see all the players but I had to play catch-up with this one. The long-tailed tits and blue tits were definitely working together, I'm not sure that the great tits and chiffchaff were part of the flock or just happened to meet. The blackbirds feeding on a guelder rose looked like new arrivals.

Mersey Viaducts 

The trees thin out a lot on the approach to the viaducts and I could see that although the river was running normally the banks were flattened and muddy and had definitely broken in places during the spate. If you're ever on a train going between Warrington Bank Quay and Runcorn East this is where you cross the Mersey. If you stand here and ask Google Maps how to get to Moore Nature Reserve it gives you an hour and a half's walk back to Chester Road, through Walton and Moore and over the river. It's five minutes from here.

Moore Nature Reserve 

I walked under the viaducts then took the path to the left, went through the gate and was onto Moore Nature Reserve. The path was mostly good, though wet, there were a few places where the mud had to be walked round. It was also very quiet of people, I met half a dozen: three joggers, three dog walkers and five dogs that were getting a bath when they got home. Magpies and robins fossicked by the path margins, chiffchaffs squeaked, great tits were integral parts of mixed tit flocks and jays shone golden in the sunlight as they ferried acorns about.

I could hear coots and moorhens on the pools in the East reedbeds. Every so often I caught a glimpse of water through the trees and the very occasional mallard. Although it was clear blue sky above there were thick clouds nearer the horizon and whenever the sun went in the sudden chill in the air was noticeable.

The Pumphouse Pool 

At the junction I took the path to the right and walked up to Colin's Hide to have a look at the Pumphouse Pool. 

Pochards and coot

Dozens of coots littered the pool. There were a couple of dozen pochards, too, together with a few gadwalls, teal and tufted ducks. A pair of mute swans cruised the far bank.

The path up to Colin's Hide was very wet, it gets muddier further along. I didn't fancy that so I walked back to the path by the railway. 

Moore Nature Reserve 

I was walking towards Birchwood Pool when I suddenly remembered I was in Cheshire and would do well to check the bus times. If I were getting the last bus back to Warrington from Moore I had twelve minutes to do the mile and a half walk which wasn't happening. I weighed up walking down to get the X30 which is the hourly bus from Chester to Warrington and decided the sensible thing would be to walk back whence I came and get the X30 at Taylor Street which would give me plenty of time to walk across the road from the bus station to the train station and get the direct train home. As it was, I was at the bottom of the steps leading up to the bus stop when the bus went by so I had to walk back to the train station. And managed to get there with twelve minutes to spare for my train. My knees will be reminding me of that all weekend.

As I waited for the train a few gulls flew low over the station rooftop. I assumed they were all black-headed gulls, and so four of them were. Luckily the Mediterranean gull decided to catch my attention by calling loudly and I took a proper look at it as it passed by.