Trafford Park

Woodpigeons, Trafford Park

I had errands and shopping to do today so it was late on when I had a bit of a walk, just a mile or so's stretch of the Bridgewater Canal through Stretford Marina and Trafford Park.

Canada geese 

There were the inevitable mallards and Canada geese, God knows where the moorhens were today. Half a dozen lesser black-backs made a racket from the recycling yard on the Longford Estate. There were lots of pairs of woodpigeons in the trees by the canalside, a few singing chiffchaffs and the usual smattering of goldfinches, greenfinches, spadgers, blue tits and dunnocks. It's also pretty clear that grey wagtails see waterways through industrial estates as just rivers and streams cutting wooded valleys through rocky landscapes. Which is exactly what they are.

Moss Road over the Bridgewater Canal 

Cob Kiln Wood

Reed bunting

It being a sunny Sunday without the cutting wind that's entertained us all week I decided to avoid the crowds and walked over to Cob Kiln Wood to get a bit of exercise.

The black-headed gulls are gone from the school playing field for the season, their places filled by grazing woodpigeons and gangs of jackdaws and magpies. Come lunchtime a few lesser black-backs and herring gulls will pop in for the playground bonanza, they don't linger at weekends. 

Holly blue

A holly blue flitting by the hedge at Humphrey Park Station was a first for the year. Blackbirds, robins, woodpigeons and goldfinches sang in roadside trees, a wren was giving it large in the allotments.

Cob Kiln Wood 

The entrance to the wood on Torbay Road was noisy with singing robins, great tits, chiffchaffs and blackbirds, the scolding of wrens and the twittering of goldfinches and greenfinches and this carried on for most of the walk. Woodpigeons clattered about in the treetops, magpies rattled, a couple of lesser black-backs made a racket as they passed overhead. There were more woodpigeons and magpies with the carrion crows in the fields and a pair of parakeets swooped around the margins of the wood. All the while I was walking round I was struck by how dry the paths were and the little reedy pond by the brook was bone dry. 

The pond was dry

I walked round to Cob Kiln Lane and went to have a look at the river to see what was about. A pair of buzzards were dancing round each other over the treetops of Banky Lane before drifting off over the meadows. Looking up the river from the bridge I couldn't see anything on the water which didn't surprise me much, there's a busy passage of walkers and frisky dogs along both banks when the weather's not up to much, on a day like today it's more like a procession. I had more luck downstream where there are no bankside paths: a redhead goosander was dozing on the shoals on the bend of the river a few hundred yards down and a couple of mallards drifted across a few yards beyond that. I decided not to join the procession down the bank and retraced my steps.

Looking down the Mersey

So I wandered back down Cob Kiln Lane and over the electricity pylons clearing. A song thrush and a coal tit had joined the blackbirds, robins and chiffchaffs singing in the trees. Long-tailed tits skulked about near bramble patches. I tried to find the pair of bullfinches wheezing mournfully in a hawthorn and had no luck but did spot a couple of reed buntings perched in the willows a little bit further along.

The bridge over Old Eeas Brook and on to Torbay Road 

It had been an undemanding potter about. As I approached the Torbay Road entrance I noticed a goldcrest darting about in the tree by the path. It was a nice note to end a walk on.

Wellacre Country Park and Irlam

Great crested grebes, Irlam Locks

Another, bright Spring day with an edge to the wind and the colour saturation dialled right up beyond eleven. It was rankling a bit that I still hadn't seen any sand martins so I thought I'd check out the water treatment works by Irlam Locks but I thought I'd be sneaky about it and have a wander round Wellacre Country Park first so it didn't look like I was looking for sand martins.

Wellacre Wood 

I got the 256 to Town Gate and walked into Wellacre Wood along the path by the school. Robins, great tits and chiffchaffs sang in the trees and for the first time in ages there wasn't a parakeet squawking in the treetops by the school yard. The cow parsley, ground elder, ramsons and brambles under the trees in the wood glowed vivid emerald greens in the sun. My first speckled wood of the year sunbathed on a nettle patch. Blackbirds and a blackcap sang, magpies and woodpigeons clattered about and invisible long-tailed tits could be heard in the depths of holly bushes.

Wellacre Wood 

Taking the path between the fields clockwise to Dutton's Pond for a change I had to tiptoe round peacock butterflies and commas. A bunch of magpies fossicked about the field with horses, a flock of woodpigeons grazed the field without.

Mallard
It this type of light the abstract patterns on water fascinate me.

All the mallards on Dutton's Pond were drakes, the ducks being otherwise engaged under cover. A few moorhens puttered about. As usual they took little notice of the passersby or the anglers.

Mallard

I had a quick nosy round Green Hill. Chiffchaffs, robins, wrens, great tits and a blackcap sang in the trees at the base of the hill as orange tips fluttered round the undergrowth and woodpigeons clattered about the treetops. Out in open country chiffchaffs and great tits sang from the depths of hawthorn bushes while greenfinches sang from the trees. 

Green Hill

I walked back under the railway and headed for Jack Lane, scolded on my way by a long-tailed tit that had decided I was walking too close to its bramble patch. I'd spoken too soon about parakeets: one squawked by Dutton's Pond and landed over in the trees in the school grounds.

Jack Lane 

Jack Lane seemed very quiet: a couple of robins, a wren, a chiffchaff… I'd settled into scanning round for frogspawn and butterflies when there was the blood-curdling squeal of a water rail in the reeds immediately behind me. Three drake mallards circled overhead before landing and disappearing into the reeds, upsetting a coot and a moorhen in the process.

Jack Lane 

Walking up Jack Lane to Irlam Road the fields were full of woodpigeons, magpies and starlings and the hedgerows busy with spadgers. A flock of black-headed gulls circling over the water treatment works were making a racket so I headed thataway. As I approached the stables on the corner I noticed a few small shapes circling round, my first sand martins of the year. There was about a dozen of them feeding high over the water treatment works, most drifted off leaving just a couple to hawk over the stables and paddocks.

Black-headed gull

A dozen black-headed gulls made a row as they loafed on the canalside furniture. I often wonder why they don't nest here, I think it's because there's not enough space for a critical mass of nests, I could be wrong. Pairs of mallards and gadwalls cruised on the canal, herring gulls and lesser black-backs dozed on the lock and the pair of oystercatchers were still on their territory.

Crossing the lock I looked downstream and could see the silhouettes of mallards, cormorants and coots. A pair of grey wagtails skittered about on the bank by the outfall. A pair of courting great crested grebes slowly drifted upstream as they waggled their heads in unison and shadowed each other, breaking off every so often to get something to eat.

Great crested grebe 

Great crested grebes 

Great crested grebe 

Great crested grebe

Great crested grebes 

Great crested grebes 

I'd looked downstream for the usual mute swan, I should have looked upstream, it drifted up the bend by Towngate Farm. A pied wagtail fossicked about the lock works on the Irlam side.

River Irwell Old Course 

I walked down, crossed the road and concluded I didn't have the energy for a nosy round Irlam Community Woodlands despite the enticements of singing chiffchaffs, dunnocks and robins. I decided to walk down along the Irwell Old Course to Princes Park and get the 100 to the Trafford Centre.

Blackbird 

Coots, moorhens and mallards cruised around on the water. Three red-eared terrapins basked on tree roots. The songscape was saturated by small birds despite all the people walking by: goldfinches, chiffchaffs and woodpigeons sang in the big trees, great tits, robins, wrens and blackbirds seemed to be everywhere, a nuthatch sang from a garden, a coal tit sang by the brook. House sparrows struck poses amongst the white blossoms of blackthorns and wild cherries, always careful to have a mesh of twigs between them and the camera. A blackcap bubbled its song from an elder bush, a dunnock jangled from a hawthorn. The open bankside was littered with pink and white spikes of butterbur, the shrubs underplanted with daffodils and lesser celandines. There was a hint of Spring in the air.

Butterbur

Davyhulme and Moss Side

Gadwalls, Barton Lock

Another fine day, I decided I didn't want to spend too much of it travelling about so ended up spending too much of it waiting for buses. I played bus stop bingo and eventually — very eventually — it was the 256 that turned up first and I decided I'd have a look round Davyhulme Millennium Nature Reserve. For some reason I can't get enthusiastic about this site despite its being a decent walk and always productive, somehow it just doesn't for me. Which is a good reason for a visit, it's a decent walk and always productive and there's no good reason not to.

Davyhulme Millennium Nature Reserve 

The sparrows and goldfinches were singing in the hedgerows as I walked in. As I walked along the path robins and chiffchaffs and a blackcap sang in the trees while titmice, wrens and blackbirds quietly went about their business. There were a lot of butterflies, small whites and brimstones fluttered about the undergrowth and the sunny stretches of path were littered with sunbathing commas and peacocks.

People think I'm joking about the "There was a warbler there a moment ago" portfolio.
Chiffchaff.

Willow warblers sang, appropriately enough, from the willows by the ponds. A couple of chaffinches limbered up for a song but never got going with it. The greenfinches and goldfinches in the trees in the bit of parkland called incessantly but didn't sing.

Canada geese 

I'd been seeing pairs of gadwalls and mallards on the canal as I walked down and cormorants had flown overhead. There were more of them at Barton Lock together with a noisy pair of Canada geese and a pair of teal lurking by the near bank. A drake goosander flew low overhead, I couldn't find any on the canal. There's nearly always a heron using the lock as a lookout point, it took me a while to find it today.

Barton Lock — spot the heron

Teal

The pond was quiet today 

I headed back and finished the circuit of the reserve, adding a singing coal tit and a few small tortoiseshells to the tally. It had been a pleasant walk and there was plenty about. I need to do it more often.

I walked back and got the 15, thinking I'd get off at The Urmston and walk home. On a whim I stayed on into Moss Side and walked down the road to Alexandra Park.

Alexandra Park 

It was approaching teatime and the park was very busy with people. The parakeets were much in evidence today, their calls drowning out the robins and great tits. Blackbirds, wrens and dunnocks rummaged about in the undergrowth, blue tits and goldfinches skittered about the treetops.

Tufted duck

As usual the tufted ducks preferred the North end of the pond and as usual I made sure there wasn't a ring-necked duck amongst them. The coots and Canada geese were noisy, the pairs of mallards and mute swans quietly cruised around, a heron lurked on the island.

Mallard

Heron

The crowd of pigeons over by the pavillion seemed even bigger than usual, no doubt drawn by people coming to feed the ducks. An absence of black-headed gulls was noticeable.

Red-eared terrapins

I know people like to see them but I was still a bit dismayed to see the terrapins sunning themselves on the island.

I walked down to Hough End for the bus home. I got there with five minutes to spare and spent the time listening to the chiffchaffs and robins singing in the trees by the field.

Mersey Valley

Kestrel, Stretford Meadows 

I wasn't feeling particularly energetic today so I opted for a short toddle over Stretford Meadows in the Spring sunshine. 

Dry

The hedgerows by the garden centre were stuffed full of spadgers, dunnocks and great tits and a pheasant called from somewhere in the trees. I was amazed by the baked, nearly hard, mud surface at the entrance to the meadows. Chiffchaffs and robins sang in the trees, a pied wagtail flew off from the mostly-hidden little brook and orange tip butterflies chased each other in the undergrowth.

Stretford Meadows 

Out in open country it was still a lot early for whitethroats and orchids, robins and goldfinches sang from hawthorn bushes and lesser celandines glistened in the sun. Magpies bounced about as usual but the carrion crows were preoccupied in the trees. Odd ones and twos of woodpigeons passed by, a couple of lesser black-backs flew past and pairs of collared doves and stock doves flew circuits of the meadows.

Kestrel, Stretford Meadows 

I found a muddy patch by the cricket pitch and walked it for reassurance's sake even though my boots scarce left an imprint. I meandered round the top of the mound and took the paths that are usually damply off-putting just because I could. The usual male kestrel flew in to see what I was doing, or more likely see if I was going to flush out any food items, and sat in the female's usual tree to watch me pass by.

Comma, showing the comma on its hindwing, Stretford Meadows

The same Comma, sunbathing

Walking by the bramble patches, sheltered from the wind by the trees at the Sandy Lane side of the meadows, there was a profusion of butterflies. Orange tips, small whites, small tortoiseshells, peacocks but mostly commas. I had to take evasive action as a pair of commas chased a peacock out of what was evidently their territory.

Small white, Stretford Meadows 

Walking to Stretford Ees 

I walked down by Kickety Brook into Stretford Ees. A blackcap added to the songscape by the motorway and a song thrush sang by the canal. Another song thrush quietly minded its own business as it rummaged about by the side of the brook. I was very struck that I hadn't seen or heard any parakeets yet.

Song thrush by Kickety Brook 

Chiffchaffs, robins and great tits sang in the trees by the tramlines, wrens and a nuthatch just sort of exploded in song. The river was lower and calmer than it was earlier in the year, babbling over the shoals at the curve near the bridge, a pair of mallards bobbing along with the current.

Sale Water Park 

Sale Water Park was busy with people, understandable on a sunny afternoon and many had evidently headed straight here from the school run. There was a handful of lesser black-backs out on the lake at this end and a few coots puttered about in the reeds. The black-headed gulls had evidently all departed for their breeding colonies.

A mallard drifted about the teal pool on Broad Ees Dole and a mute swan dozed in the trees. The pool by the hide looked deserted at first, the dabchicks seemed to have it all to themselves. A heron flew by but didn't land, a drake gadwall cruised the far bank and a pair of moorhens were making baby moorhens on the near bank. Three Canada geese cruised in, had a quarrel and cruised out again.

Dabchick, Broad Ees Dole 

Honestly, it is a dabchick

I walked by the Sale Water Park lake. A few swans cruised about, a herd of swans clustered in the far corner of the lake. The pair of great crested grebes kept to midwater away from people, dogs, swimmers and excitable mute swans. The usual crowd on the slipway was a couple of Canada geese and some coots, the ducks were otherwise engaged.

Mute swans, Sale Water Park 

A crowd of Canada geese dozed on the pontoon with a couple of lesser black-backs and a pair of cormorants which kept making a start at courtship rituals then kept thinking better of it.

Cormorants and Canada geese, Sale Water Park 

A few of the mute swans and Canada geese retreated to Barrow Brook for a doze. One of the mute swans was sitting on last year's nest half-hidden in the trees but I wasn't convinced it was nesting, it would have been a lot more grumpy about the other swans and geese being so close.

Mute swan and Canada goose, Barrow Brook

I sat by the café and watched the feeders for a short while. The squirrels were keeping the titmice at bay, scurrying off at the approach of dog walkers and leaving the field open for great tits and nuthatches to dive in. The only ring-necked parakeet of the day squawked loudly as it flew by at treetop height.

I sloped off under the motorway and caught the 248 into Davyhulme for the shopping I was going to do after walking round Stretford Meadows.