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.