A bit of a wander

Old Eeas Brook,
Cob Kiln Brook

It was a bright, sunny day right up to the point when I put my boots on. Then there was a crack of thunder and a hailstorm. I shrugged my shoulders and put my raincoat on, I needed a walk. By which time it was a bright, sunny day.

I wandered down to Cob Kiln Wood, birds singing all the way. Most were robins but the spadgers, starlings and woodpigeons weren't being shy. 

At the entrance of the wood on Torbay Road the first of the many song thrushes I'd be hearing this afternoon were belting out their songs. Great tits and long-tailed tits bounced about in the undergrowth and a small flock of redwings tutted in the treetops. The going was very muddy so I didn't cross the electricity pylon clearing, getting in's okay but the exit can be a quagmire at the best of times. I passed lots of singing robins and woodpigeons plundering the last of the ivy berries. Blackbirds rummaged in the undergrowth, chaffinches and bullfinches in the treetops and blue tits bounced their way through hawthorn bushes. The robins and song thrushes were punctuated every so often by singing coal tits and goldcrests. It's the last meteorological day of Winter and they were ready for Spring. As I joined Cob Kiln Lane and walked down towards the river the almost-inevitable pair of parakeets screeched through the trees.

Cob Kiln Wood 

The little shape by the mallards upstream on the river was a dabchick. I very rarely see them on the river, it's always a suprise when I do. Unlike the cormorant fishing downstream.

Banky Lane was more than a little damp so I stuck to the National Cycle Route rather than exploring the side lanes down to the river on Banky Meadow. It was fairly quiet save robins and wrens, the woodpigeons, magpies and carrion crows quietly went about their business and a pair of mallards flying by were uncharacteristically silent.

Banky Lane 

I crossed the road into Ashton-on-Mersey and found myself heading for Carrington Moss. I wondered if I'd have the legs for the walk over to Broadheath or if I'd walk up Isherwood Road into Carrington for the bus home. The wooded pathway was noisy with robins, magpies and song thrushes but I could hear skylarks out in the fields.

Heading across the fields to the rugby training ground the fields were busy. A flock of skylarks bounced about in the stubble, every so often one would rise and sing. Carrion crows, pigeons and magpies rummaged about in the grass, the woodpigeons and stock doves kept to themselves over in another field.

Carrington Moss 

Walking past the rugby pitches the path became horrendously muddy. A chap with a quad bike had made sure of this. After a hundred yards I gave up in disgust and turned back. I'd noticed a path heading towards the riding centre so I joined that and wandered down it, passing more skylarks and long-tailed tits along the way. I then joined a rough path following the electricity pylons to Ashton Road. The clearing was busy with robins and dunnocks, the trees either side with titmice and redwings. A passing flock of black-headed gulls skimmed the treetops before heading on to Sale.

Ashton Road 

I joined Ashton Road and headed into Sale, got the 249 into Altrincham and got the 247 home. I hadn't explored much of this side of Carrington Moss before, it made a nice change and it's made me wonder about doing an East-West walk across to the industrial estate next time.