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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: 2-10 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 2020:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage, Wendy Peers, Celia de Mengle, Wendy and Ian Peers, Roger Smith, Paul Collinson, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Celia de Mengle, Sue Pearson.

Saturday 10 December 2011

The Marine Lake, Brickfield Pool, Rhuddlan Nature Reserve, Afon Clwyd and the Foryd 10th December 2011

The Marine Lake, Rhyl.
One or two Lapwings above the Marine Lake.
Rhuddlan Castle from our lunch spot in Rhuddlan Local nature Reserve.
Walk stats: 10.0 miles. Climb: 839'.
Time: 4 hours 56 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.7 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn and Roger.
Down to two walking today, but it had the bonus that Martyn  had a few more of Margaret's excellent mince pies to enjoy!
A bright and sunny day, but on the cool side, much better than lashing rain and gale force winds that greeted us on Thursday.
The Marine Lake had been allowed to drain and quite a bit of mud was exposed, consequently there great numbers of Lapwing, Oystercatchers and quite a few Redshank too.  The star birds on the Marine Lake were the 12 Red breasted mergansers.
This walk was largely on the North Wales Path and new tarmacked paths around nature reserves, so we arrived back at the ca with clean boots, always a bonus.
Paths on both sides of the Afon Clwyd were open and we completed a small extension along the North Wales path to the coast and back around by the harbour.
Birds seen or heard today included: Carrion crow, Black-billed magpie, Feral pigeon, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, House sparrow, Winter wren, Common redshank, Lapwing, Goosander, Red breasted merganser, Mallard, Oystercatcher, Little grebe, Great crested grebe, Herring gull, Great cormorant, Grey heron, Dunlin, Kestrel, Curlew, Little egret, Blue tit, Great tit, Greenfinch, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Pied wagtail, Teal, Wigeon, Greylag goose, Mute swan, Shelduck. Tufted duck, Common coot, Moorhen, Black-headed gull, Ringed plover, Meadow pipit, Goldfinch, Common starling and Dunlin.
Overall a good walk, especially if you like bird watching too!
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Britannia Inn at Halkyn, where the Lees bitter went down well and people were enjoying meals.

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