A walk along the Irwell

Goosanders, Kersal Wetlands 

I played bus station bingo, the 52 opened its doors first so I had a wander around Kersal Wetlands. This time it was literally around the wetlands: I walked along the riverside path.

River Irwell, Kersal Wetlands 

I got off the bus at Castle Irwell and walked along the river. A chiffchaff sang by the bus stop and goldfinches twittered in the trees. I'd hoped to see sand martins by the bridge but was disappointed. Pairs of mallards dabbled by the banks and a few second calendar year black-headed gulls flew about and mooched by the riverside.

Female goosander

The Irwell can be a very pretty river if you choose your viewpoint carefully and don't look too closely. The litter of the Winter flooding and the litter of everyday litter adorned the river banks. I started seeing pairs of goosanders drifting about the river and, very occasionally, diving for food. I find it incredibly difficult to get decent photos of goosanders, they tend to be against backgrounds that have them bleach out, so I took quite a lot of photos against a range of backgrounds with my fingers crossed for success. Approaching the shoals and small beach at the sharp bend of the river I scanned round for dippers or grey wagtails expecting to see neither and was surprised when a grey wagtail flew onto a branch.

Grey wagtail 

Drake goosander 

Drake goosander 

Drake goosander 

Drake goosander 

A couple of blackcaps and willow warblers joined the blackbirds, robins and wrens singing in the trees. As did a couple of carrion crows. A couple of pairs of ring-necked parakeets screeched as they flew about the treetops. A couple of sand martins swooped in. Then a couple more. Then all of a sudden I was surrounded by a couple of dozen of them. God knows, there were plenty enough midges to keep them going. I spent a few minutes doing that heartbreaking thing where you take photos of empty air, gave up and walked on.

Sand martin

Carrion crow singing in a cherry tree

Starlings 

I had to pick my way through a gang of starlings to get onto the path to the Grandstand Avenue exit. There were more goosanders and a few adult black-headed gulls on the river here and a lesser black-back posed for the camera.

Lesser black-back

Black-headed gull 

I got the 95 bus and moved on to Drinkwater Park where coal tits, chiffchaffs and robins sang in the trees. Woodpigeons and magpies clattered and rattled in the treetops while a jay paid no attention and dozed in a pathside tree.

Drinkwater Park 

I had a walk through the woods then took the path to the river, thinking I might have the legs to walk up to Clifton for the bus home. A few mallards and Canada geese drifted about and a tufted duck dozed with the mallards on one of the emerged rock shelves. As the country opened up a bit a couple of willow warblers joined the songscape and a buzzard floated over before disappearing into the trees.

I realised I didn't have the legs to walk down to Clifton Country Park, cross the river at the water treatment works and cross round into Clifton for the bus. The more sensible option was to cross over and walk down the river via Forest Bank Park and go for a bus back in Agecroft. On this side of the river the singing chiffchaffs were joined by blackcaps.

Adelphi Bridge 

I'd had a good walk and felt no need to tell myself off for not getting over to Clifton. On the plus side the bus stop for the 66 is across the road where the path emerges onto Adelphi Bridge. On the minus side the traffic over the bridge was horrendous. I was just concluding it might be quicker to get the bus into Bury and come back again when a kind driver let me cross. And just in time for the bus, too. 

River Irwell, Kersal Wetlands