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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.

Wednesday 26 July 2023

A Gronant to Barkby Beach Round 26th July 2023

Prestatyn Gutter at the eastern end of the Golf Course.
Looking across the reedbed towards alacre.
A closer look at Greater reedmace (Bullrush).
Sea holly.
A Skylark rests on the boardwalk.
A Meadow pipit posing.
Barkby Beach ahead with Eryri and the Great Orme on the skyline.
Barkby Beach ahead with Eryri and the Great Orme on the skyline.
A male Stonechat.
A bee feeding.
Looking over the golf course towards the hills above Prestatyn.
The Beach Hotel, Brkby Beach and the Grat Orme.
Slowly turning blades of the wind farm off Barkby Beach.
Bindweed next to the fence.
A Cinnabar moth caterpiller on Ragwort.
Walk stats: 4.7 miles. Climb: 200’.
Time: 2 hours 44 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.
Temperature: 17.7 Celsius at the start. 19.7 Celsius at Barkby Beach when I stopped for a drink.
Beaufort Wind Force: 2 – 3. Mainly a 4 – 5 m.p.h. Light breeze, but occasionally gusting to an 8.0 m.p.h. Gentle breeze.
Group: Martyn.
The weather forecast was pretty good, at least for the morning, so I decided to head for Gronant and see if the Little terns were around.
After visiting the two hides overlooking the Little tern colony, I headed along the top of the sand dunes to Barkby Beach, stopped for a drinks break, before returning through Prestatyn Golf Course.
Alas most of the Little terns had left, but there were still a few around, although I didn’t see any. The warden said that about 128 Little terns had fledged despite predation by Kestrels.
Birds seen or heard today included: House martin, Barn swallow, Woodpigeon, House sparrow, Meadow pipit, Linnet, Skylark, Stonechat, Common starling, Sedge warbler, Herring gull, Oystercatcher, Lesser black back gull, Black headed gull, Mallard, Goldfinch and Common blackbird.
It was a good job my boots didn't need cleaning as it started to rain just after I arrived home.













 

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Anonymous said...

Some great photos there Martyn!

30 July 2023 at 21:08

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