About Me

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When? Started: 1993 Who? Started with staff and friends from U H S, Chester. Organiser: Martyn Harris We walk every Wednesday and Saturdays, New Years day and May Day. How many walk? Walks take place as long as there are at least 2 wanting to walk on that day. More walk on a Wednesday than on a Saturday. Most ever: 29. Current group size walking: 2-7 in mid-week and 2-4 on Saturday. Where do we walk? Saturday: Anywhere in North and Mid-Wales, Peak District, Shropshire and the Long Mynd and as far North as the Trough of Bowland. Thursday: Anywhere within about 40 miles of Chester. Type of walk: Distance: 6 – 14 miles (but usually under 10 miles). Climb: up to 4000’ (but usually very much less!). People involved on walks in 2024:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage,, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Winston Feather.

Thursday, 21 July 2011

Clywedog Reservoir and Moel y Fron 21st July 2011

The real workers, on holiday at last!
The leader of the pack!
Common spotted orchid, the flower of the day.
The lunch spot for some, beside the Clywedog Reservoir.
The star spot of the day, a Common lizard.
Which way to go? No problem, the signpost points in the right direction!
Walk stats: Distance: 10.6 miles. Climb:1642'.
Time: 5 hours 20 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Mike D., Wendy Peers, Sylvia and Dave J, Fran and Tito, LeRoi Walwin, Tim, Gordon, Roger, Sue and Michel.
What a wonderful start to the walk to have two new additions to the group, I knew about Wendy, but I could hardly believe it when I saw Leeroy standing by Dave's car, after threatening to join us over 12 years ago, at last he was here!  Hopefully they will both want to join us again in the future, whether on a regular basis or on the odd occasion that may suit.
The weather on this occasion was a bit of a none event, a little on the humid side at time and a feeling of dampness in the air, that was the worst that we got.  Ideally I would have liked a slightly stronger breeze, but the rest of the group seemed to be happy and by the end of the walk all of the group had discarded second layers.
Much of the walk was on quiet lanes, but we were occasionally squeezed by passing tractors.  The highlight of the walk was whilst we were walking along one of the forestry tracks adjacent to the remains of of a forest when we first heard and then saw at least two, probably three Peregrine falcons.  We also came across a recent meal of a bird of prey, probably the Peregrines,  a few feathers and the feet of a racing pigeon. (GB11 C 09271). I have e-mailed someone that I thought was the right authority and they have e-mailed me back saying that they had forewarded it. The views at this point were quite good too, when the Clwydian Range could clearly be seen.
Lunch was taken at the Clywedog Reservoir, where we had the luxury of  benches to sit on.  
After lunch, the spot of the day was a Common lizard sunbathing on a discarded piece of newspaper. The photo is on the blog, so I hope it isn't from the Sun or News of the World!
Birds seen or heard today included: Chiffchaff, Eurasian jay, Black-billed magpie, Common swift,Barn swallow, House martin, Herring gull, Common gull, Common buzzard, Pied wagtail, Peregrine falcon, Green woodpecker and Carrion crow.
After walk drinks were taken at the Rainbow Inn just outside Mold. The Black sheep Bitter wasn't in top condition, but the company made up for it!  Hopefully they will have put a new barrel by the time we go there next week!

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