Walks 8, 9 and 10 were completed before Christmas and didnt throw up anything exciting to be honest. Just the usual woodland and farmland birds. The odd Yellowhammer here and there and a pair of Goosander at a small pond at one point. Walks 8 and 9 covered the western end of the Peckforton Hills and Rawhead, the latter being the highest point of the Sandstone Trail at 745 ft above sea level, not bad for west Cheshire. Walk 10 was low level farmland centred on Hampton Heath.
Today we completed an 8.5 miler, centred on Malpas in south west Cheshire just a few miles from the Welsh border. The weather was cool and sunny but at times felt quite pleasant. Several Raven were seen together with Nuthatch, Great spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Buzzard and other more common species. Redwing were plentiful but even more so were Fieldfare. I probably saw around 150, the most Ive seen in a day this autumn/winter. Best sighting of the day, however, was a skein of Pink footed Geese, with around 150 moving through in a north westerly direction. Two walks to go.
Walk seven completed earlier today, parked up at Beeston Castle car park and effectively an anti clockwise walk around the Peckforton Hills. Buzzard, Raven, Great spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch heard from the car park. Several more of all these species would be heard and seen throughout the walk, especially Buzzard and Raven, together with all the usual resident commoner woodland species. The first part of the walk went through the Peckforton Estate affording impressive views of the Cheshire Plain. Reed Bunting and Skylark were noted near Peckforton Mere. One or two pools around here look good for dragonflies at the right time of the year. The source of the River Gowy is nearby.
I have been looking forward to checking one or two spots on both this walk and the next as certain areas look good for Nightjar. One today wasnt just right but another certainly has potential. I have at least one other spot to check and will pay a visit (or hopefully visits) next Spring.
Weve now done walks four, five and six, walk four at the end of July with the later two this month. Walk four was in the Primrosehill Wood area (Iberian Chiffchaff), south of Delamere, walk five was the section in and around Tarporley and yesterdays walk six was at and around Beeston Castle.
Not the best time of year for woodland and farmland birding and nothing of real note stands out. All the usuals like Great spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Long tailed Tit, Buzzard, Raven, Jackdaw etc. Yellowhammer were noted near Rock Farm at the southern end of Willington Hill and also to the south of Fishers Green. Two Grey Wagtail were seen yesterday at Whartons Lock on the Shropshire Union Canal, which here runs by the extremely narrow River Gowy.
The next walk around the Peckforton Hills will be interesting as there are one or two areas that look good for Nightjar that I have yet to check out and the walk will give me the opportunity to do so.
Did walk three today of the book, Circular Walks along the Sandstone Trail by Carl Rogers. Started in the middle of Delamere Forest, past the viewpoint at Pale Heights, Nettleford Wood, Gresty's Waste, Primrosehill Wood, Kelsall, Langley Wood, Manley Common and finally back to the car in Delamere Forest.
Nothing of any real interest to note but plenty of resident woodland and farmland birds including several Buzzard, Pheasant, Moorhen, Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Great spotted Woodpecker, Swallow, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Jay, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Bullfinch. Good to see that Green Woodpecker were present in four different areas of the walk and probably the most I've ever seen in a day.
The Sandstone Trail runs for 34 miles roughly north/south from Frodsham, in Cheshire to Whitchurch, just over the county boundary in Shropshire. Apart from the last three or four miles, the trail is in Cheshire.
We did the first section in January starting in Frodsham centre, up to Overton Hill and the war memorial, past Jacob's Ladder and Dunsdale Hollow, around Woodhouse Hill and Snidley Moor before finishing on The Ridgeway.
Today, we started from The Ridgeway, went south by Alvanley Cliff, up Simmond's Hill to Manley, east to Manley Common before touching the north western edge of Delamere Forest.
I thought it would be interesting to record the birds seen en route and, bearing in mind I am relatively new to Cheshire, reccy some of the areas where scarce birds were possible or just for future birding visits.
The first section from Frodsham didn't turn up anything of real interest, just the usual resident/winter birds such as Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Jay, Great spotted Woodpecker etc.
Today was more interesting due to the time of year. Blackcap and Whitethroat were out in good numbers as were Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Green Woodpecker was heard in woodland by Alvanley Cliff. Several Swallow were seen around the farmland and a Skylark was heard over fields at New Pale, east of Manley Common. My first Garden Warbler of the year was noted at the north western edge of Delamere Forest and not too long afterwards two Crossbill were heard, then seen further in to the forest. Also around were Great spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Long tailed Tit together with your usual woodland species.
I intend to complete the full walk and will report back in due course!
