Chat Moss

By Cutnook Lane 

I hadn't long been asleep when the blackbirds started singing at five o'clock. I couldn't get back to sleep, which gave me the opportunity to pick out the structure of this morning's dawn chorus. A carrion crow joined in at half-past then there was a quarter hour's lull in the proceedings. At ten to six the robin and the wren started singing with the crow, the blackbirds had a fight and the first lesser black-backs of the day flew overhead. Then there was another five minutes' quiet. Then the wren and woodpigeons started singing, the jackdaws and magpies woke up and the first of the spadgers did a pre-dawn check. Come the dawn and the spadgers piled in on the seed feeders. I tried to snatch some sleep and managed to doze off for ten minutes just after eight.

After I got home from the shops I decided I wasn't doing a walk today, I was dog-tired. Then I saw that a green-winged teal had been spotted on one of the pools on Chat Moss. It would be an addition both to the year list and my Greater Manchester list. The report said it was being elusive. Was I in any state to be looking for an elusive edition of a tricky bird to pick out from the Eurasian teals on a pool obscured by willow scrub? Probably not.

I was starting to get cross after waiting twenty minutes for the late-running 25 to the Trafford Centre when I reminded myself that (a) I had all the time in the world and (b) I probably won't miss the connection with the 100 because that'll be late, too, seeing as it has to crawl its way between Shudehill and Salford Precinct before it can make its way through to Eccles. On my way to the bus stop I passed a crowd of thirty-two magpies in the corner of the school playing field looking like an amateur production of Guys 'n' Dolls in feathers.

By Cutnook Lane 

It hadn't been a bad morning but it was looking distinctly murky as I got off the bus at Cutnook Lane and walked over the motorway bridge. Murky and heavy and very headachy. I wasn't planning on a long walk. The robins, wrens and great tits singing in the trees were joined by chiffchaffs as I passed the stables. The paddocks were littered with woodpigeons, carrion crows and magpies, pairs of mallards lurked in the land drains. Scanning the wet fields beyond the farmhouse I found a pair of mallards in a large puddle and a lapwing was display flying further out towards the road. As I approached Twelve Yards Road a treecreeper sang from the depths of a rhododendron. 

Walking towards Croxden's 

I crossed Twelve Yards Road and walked up the path towards Croxden's. A mistle thrush sang in the birch scrub at the crossroads and a couple of song thrushes sang, one in the trees by the fishery and one further down Twelve Yards Road. I like this time of year when you don't have to go searching to know there are birds about. Chaffinches joined in the concert and a blackbird in the birch scrub near the top made a late entrance. I had good views of the pools by the path here but only found a couple of pairs of mallards.

The pools by the path

Croxden's, looking over towards Winter Hill

I walked up to the edge of Croxden's and had a look over the landscape. A few lesser black-backs circled over the distant trees. A crowd of carrion crows strutted about the open moss with a few magpies, with more carrion crows calling from the trees. Yes, I did check out all the crows to make sure there wasn't a hoodie still out there. I was surprised to see a small tortoiseshell flutter by.

I walked down the path through the birch scrub to the pools where the green-winged teal had been seen. There were more wrens and robins, long-tailed tits bounced past and reed buntings voiced their disapproval as I passed by. A few day-flying moths were about. I've no idea what they were, I was seeing them all in silhouette against a bleak sky. Besides, I only have a repertoire of about fifty macro moths and a handful of micro moths so I'd struggle anyway.

The open pools North of Chat Moss 

I passed some spectacular fly-tipping. People will go a long way to get rid of an old fridge and a bathroom suite. I was reminded of Flanders and Swann singing "The Bedstead Men."

It started raining. The trees provided enough cover for me to hardly notice it and the heaviness in the air lifted. As I approached the wooded pools I could hear teal, which was reassuring. Then I saw a chap further down the path scanning the pools. I approached quietly, scanning the water all the while. He packed his gear up and walked back towards me and we let on to each other (and I said hello to his commendably quiet dog). He'd seen the teal and it definitely was being elusive, it had taken him half an hour to find it then it drifted behind an island with some Eurasian teals. I thanked him for showing me which section to check out and he went on his way. 

I fidgeted about for five minutes trying to work out which was the best position on the path for getting the optimum vision through the trees, finding a heron with a couple of mallards and a couple of Eurasian teal in the process. Ten minutes later five drake teals drifted out from behind an island on the far side of the pool. It was the fifth one I looked at that had the vertical white stripe down the side of its breast.

Green-winged teal (left) and Eurasian teals
A shockingly bad record shot but given the murky light and having to try to focus the obstructing trees out of the way I shan't beat myself up over it.

I'd been considerably luckier than I deserved. 

Chat Moss 

I probably had the legs and wind for a longer walk but I was dozing off so I headed back whence I came. Skylarks joined the songscape and an oystercatcher called from somewhere over the fields. A great black-back passed overhead as I crossed Twelve Yards Road, a little later a few lesser black-backs passed by and confirmed I'd seen something considerably bigger and chunkier.

The walk back was filled with birdsong. The rain held off until I got off the bus at the Trafford Centre then came down in buckets. I'd got to the front door when the thunder started.

Walking towards Croxden's