Dreich

Amberswood 

A cold and windy night was followed by a cold and rainy morning. The sun poked through the clouds every so often, mostly when it was raining the heaviest. I'd already put today's plans on ice in anticipation of this weather and as it dragged on into lunchtime I came to the conclusion I wasn't getting a walk in today.

The birds in the back garden were in the same gloomy mood, all but the woodpigeons that obviously had had a rising of the fires in the blood. It's no wonder the fence panels are wrecked. The oldest of the spadgers appears to be the silver-cheeked male now entering his third year. I've not seen the venerable silver-cheek, at least five years old, for a few weeks. Now I've written that down he'll be back tomorrow.

The wind made the gulls on the playing field restless. A couple of dozen black-headed gulls fidgeted between the field and the rooftops where the dozen each of lesser black-backs and herring gulls loafed and preened ready for the lunchtime scrabble.

The weather cleared up at teatime. I was in the area and had half an hour to wait for the 132 bus so I decided on a dawdle along the cycleway at Amberswood. As I got off the bus by the Wigan Road entrance a raven flew low over the trees, over the road and up the Whelley Line Loop. Robins, song thrushes, coal tits and great tits sang in the hedgerows and blue tits bounced about the treetops. I'd decided to walk as far as the fork in the path and walk back again, not a bad idea as at that point it started raining.

I walked back in the rain, which didn't dampen the songbirds' efforts one whit. I crossed over to the bus stop and checked how they were running. I had quarter of an hour to wait for my bus, I could have a quick nosy on the Whelley Line path while I was waiting. It started teeming down. I took the hint.

The Wigan Road end of the Whelley Line Loop

I like sneaking in these little bits of birdwatching, they feel like minor victories which is no bad thing.