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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.

Saturday, 10 March 2012

Another Great Orme Special 10th March 2012

Is that a seal?
Llandudno Pier from Happy Valley Gardens, Llandudno.
"That's my boy!" The only new kid seen.
Walk stats: Distance: 8.1 miles. Climb: 1440'.
Time: 4 hours 48 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn and Roger.
Another good day for walking, especially before lunch, when we experienced a lot of sunshine to compensate for the cool wind.
This route followed the footpath that lead to the gunnery site, always a good alternative to following the Marine Drive from the West shore. This approach gave us lots of opportunity to hear birds singing, especially that of the Dunnock that seemed to be every hundred yards or so as we headed towards the open access area.
Heading along the Marine Drive, past the "Rest and be Thankful" Cafe is always one of anticipation! Will we see a seal? Will we see a porpoise? on this occasion, the answer was, no!.
However we did see lots of Guillemots and a Fulmars (some already nesting).
Our greatest disappointment was find the toilets in the Happy Valley Gardens closed!
As usual, we had lunch in the cemetery near St. Tudno's church, and were fortunate enough to see a Kestrel fly past within a few feet of us, not once but several times. On one occasion, it was being mobbed by Jackdaws and a Herring gull.
After lunch, we realised that our legs were still complaining from the walk on Thursday, so decided the shortest route across the top of the Great Orme was the best option. That decision had nothing to do with the fact that we would be back at the Britannia Inn, Halkyn to se the first half of the Wales v Italy rugby match, which Wales naturally won!
Birds seen or heard today included: Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Raven, Pied wagtail, European robin, Meadow pipit, Red-billed chough, Fulmar, Herring gull, Great cormorant, Blue tit, Great tit, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Woodpigeon, Common blackbird and Skylark.

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