Bickershaw Country Park

Humbugs 
Great crested grebe chicks

It was another sunny day. I played bus station bingo at the Trafford Centre and got the 132, at first with the intention of going to Amberswood but as we approached Hindley Green I remembered I hadn't been for a proper walk over Bickershaw Country Park this year and this was the season to do it in with warblers, butterflies and dragonflies on the menu. So I got off and walked down Leigh Road then took the narrow footpath at the corner of Bickershaw Lane and onto the Northern Trail on the country park.

The Northern Trail

I'd barely started down the path before I was hearing blackcaps singing amongst the robins and blackbirds in the bushes. As the path emerged into the light woodland along this stretch of the Northern Trail whitethroats and chiffchaffs joined the songscape. Large whites and speckled woods fluttered about the sides of the path. As the path neared Bickershaw Lane a Cetti's warbler sang in the roadside brambles.

Broad-bodied chaser

The first target was Diggle Flash, the small lake at the Northern edge of the country park. I passed a small pond, half dried-up and busy with frog tadpoles. A broad-bodied chaser hawked low over the dry reed stems on the margins, pausing every so often to bask in the sun.

The Northern Trail

Diggle Flash 

A raft of tufted ducks dozed on Diggle Flash. A mute swan cruised about, another looked to be sitting in a nest. A pair of great crested grebes drifted about in the open water, dabchicks hinneyed in the reeds, drowning out the reed warblers for a minute or two before settling back down to whatever they were up to. Closer by the grass by the path was lively with common blue damselflies and green lacewings danced about the willow leaves.

Common blue damselflies 

Goldfinches 

I took a zigzag route from Diggle Flash to Fir Tree Flash taking me through patches of light woodland, open hawthorn scrub and rough grassland. The soundscape flowed from robins and blackcaps to blackbirds and chiffchaffs, whitethroats, goldfinches, willow warblers and great tits. A garden warbler in an oak tree made up the expected set. A grasshopper warbler in some rough pasture was a bonus, though it was only when there was a lull in the wind through the leaves in the bushes by the path I could pick up its distant reeling. 

This is usually a small pond 

Grasshopper warbler country

Whitethroat and willow warbler country

Despite the lushness of the trees and bushes the landscape looked very dry. All the muddy side paths were like concrete, as were the dried-up pools. Every so often some filthy black clouds would roll in, I'd think: "Aye, lad, here's some of that rain they've been talking about," and they'd roll back out again.

Speckled wood

Stonechat

Swifts swooped overhead as I passed the allotments near Fir Tree Flash. I almost missed the female stonechat keeping an eye on me from the fence.

Canada geese

The Canada geese and mallards on the flash had fluffy bundles to keep tabs of. A great crested grebe spent most of its time trying to make sure there was clear green water between it and its three very noisy youngsters.

Fir Tree Flash 

I took the hint from my ankle and called it quits. I'd been wandering about the best part of three hours and didn't want to push my luck so I got the 608 into Leigh and headed home after a very productive stroll. At my stop at Leigh Bus Station a pigeon was being kept busy by a hungry full-grown youngster.

Pigeon and squab