Cob Kiln Wood

Goldcrest
(I was seriously tempted to use one of the dozen "There was a goldcrest there a moment ago" photos as being more representative of this species.)

It was another mild, grey day so I decided to walk down Cob Kiln Wood and have a dawdle round to see what was about. Wet woodland walking has been a bit famine or feast lately depending on the wind. It wasn't a gusty sort of a day so I was keeping my fingers crossed.

The spadgers, with the help of the squirrels and assorted titmice, had denuded the feeders and a couple of cock sparrows had spent lunchtime giving me Paddington Bear stares through the living room window. I made a note to get some more bird food on the way home. A bag of black sunflower seeds rather than the hearts this time so the coal tits can cache some things that will keep a bit better.

The November exodus of woodpigeons has happened again. It's easy to miss on the school playing field because there are so many jackdaws, magpies and pigeons making up the numbers but the woodies have been gone just over a week. Similarly, the lunchtime crowd of large gulls has shifted over from lesser black-backs to herring gulls, some days it's all herring gulls and others, like today, it's just a simple majority of one. In Summer it's the other way round. A feature of how mild an Autumn it's been is that I've been seeing common gulls here less than once a week.

It was good to see nearly fifty starlings in the trees around the allotments. They were a definite Summer scarcity this year. A very definite Summer scarcity.

Crossing Old Eeas Brook 

Robins had been exercising their lungs to proclaim their Winter territories all along the way and they, along with the chatter of magpies, were a constant background feature as I walked through the wood. Every so often they'd be joined by the screech of parakeets as they flew round the treetops. Looking at Old Eeas Brook as it lapped the top of the bank it was hard to believe that it was bone dry a few months ago. And very easy to believe we'll be having floods again this Winter.

By the pond

I joined the path going into the wood. The bare trees in the field by the path were heavy with woodpigeons, stock doves and magpies. I looked in vain for the reason why they weren't feeding in the ground. There was plenty of water in the little pond, too. I'd been assailed by a couple of peacock butterflies on the way in, I checked to see if any dragonflies might be about and drew a blank. While I was looking round a mixed tit flock appeared. At first it looked like there were just a couple of blue tits in the big willow over by the brook. They were joined by a couple of dozen long-tailed tits. Unlike yesterday I was having to look up into the treetops to find my birds.

Cob Kiln Wood 

I rejoined the path skirting the margins of the wood and negotiated the usual mud patches. I came to the conclusion that the mixed tit flock I was seeing here was a continuation of the one by the pond, it was heading in the same direction. The blue tits and great tits kept their distance, the coal tits weren't fussed about me but weren't keen on having their photos taken. The few long-tailed tits were in a hurry to catch up with the others.

The electricity pylon clearing 

I had decided not to cross the electricity pylon clearing, I didn't fancy the inevitable quagmire at the exit onto Cob Kiln Lane. Curiosity made me change my mind, it wasn't just blackbirds I was seeing flitting about the trees. Sure enough, a small flock of redwings were feeding in the hawthorns with the blackbirds. They kept to the half-stripped bushes close to the birch trees, the bushes closer to the path were still dark red with berries. Goldfinches and chaffinches flitted about. I thought I could hear siskins in some of the alders but couldn't confirm it. I followed the herd and walked through the bramble patch to get out into Cob Kiln Lane.

Redwing

The walk down the lane would have been quiet had a ring-necked parakeet not escorted a passing buzzard out of the wood. I think the peacock butterflies weren't being aggressive, they were just too clumsily weary to avoid bumping into people. There were plenty of people for them to bump into, mostly walking dogs or riding horses.

River Mersey 

The river was high and fast and there were no birds on it in either direction. A couple of mallards flew overhead towards Stretford. There weren't any pigeons or wagtails about, either, which is unusual.

I turned back and walked down Cob Kiln Lane into Urmston. The mixed tit flock moving through the hedgerow had goldcrests and dunnocks tagging along. The surprise of the day was finding a couple of teal in the little pond at the far end of one of the fields by the stables.

Honey fungus 

I'd spent a couple of hours wandering round, I decided not to go over for a nosy round Urmston Meadows, I'd best get that bird food bought while I remembered.