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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.

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Barkby Beach and Gronant Sand Dunes 13th June 2018

Looking West from Barkby Beach.
Looking East along Barkby Beach.
A Linnet on Barkby Beach.
The path along the top of the Sand dunes, looking towards Gronant.
Sea holly next to the path on the Sand dunes
Pyramidal orchid in the Sand dunes.
One Little tern at the Gronant tern colony.
Skylark in the Gronant Sand dunes.
Skylark singing above Gronant sand dunes.
Sedge warbler in Prestatyn Golf Course.
A Common whitethroat in Prestatyn Golf Course..
Gulls having a bath in Prestatyn Gutter.
Walk stats: Distance: 3.7 miles. Climb; 152'.
Time: 2 hours 36 minutes.On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.4 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.
As everyone else had other things to do, I decided to walk from Barkby Beach along the dunes to the Little tern colony at Gronant. The path along the top of the dunes is never that easy, but the walk along the beach wasn't possible as the tide was well in and still rising.
 However this path did take me past lots of blooming Pyramidal orchids, always well worth the visit on their own.
 It was also delightful to hear and see lots of Skylarks as I walked through the dune, with some very obliging to drop to the ground a few feet in front of me and then walked in the open along the path.
 Arriving at the I was surprised to see that a small wooden visitor centre had been set up at the western end of the colony, allowing better views of the Little terns. This was manned by a local volunteer and is in addition to the hide used by RSPB members keeping a watch over the colony 24/7 throughout the breeding season.
 The return route was though the Golf Course, often another quite good place to see birds, especially along the margins of Prestatyn Gutter.
 Birds seen and heard today included: Common blackbird, Feral pigeon, Great cormorant, Common starling, Dunlin, Stonechat, Meadow pipit, Skylark, Mallard, Sedge warbler, Reed bunting, Mute swan, Common whitethroat, Herring gull, Lesser black back gull, House sparrow, House martin, Barn swallow, Moorhen, Coot, Black-billed magpie, Little egret and of course the Little tern.
 Overall a good bird watching trip, with better views of Linnets, Carrion crow, Skylarks and Little terns than I have had in recent years.
 I arrived back at the car just after mid-day, and decided to have lunch on Barkby Beach before setting for home in time to watch most of the cricket ODI, England v Australia.
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