About Me

My photo
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 1 January 2011

Hilbre Island 1st January 2011


Heading for Little Eye.

Look what I've found!

The birds of the day - Brent Geese (Ignore the Carrion crow in the foreground)

Lunchtime on Middle Eye.

"You don't say!"

Walk stats: Distance: 5.9 miles (6.1 miles for the bog trotters!). Climb:210'.
Time: 3 hours 22 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.
Group:Martyn, Roger, Annie H., Sue and Michel, Sylvia and Dave J., Fran and Tito, Celia and Carol.
The weather turned out to be much better than expected! We approached the start in low cloud/mist and rain. However as we parked by the Marine Lake the rain stopped, but the Sun still didn't come out, but at least we weren't getting absolutely soaked.
I must admit I got the tide times wrong when I planned this walk, but thankfully that was to our advantage. We followed the tide out, perfect for bird watching, especially for Roger to road-test his new monocular!
We were lucky to be numbered in the first to set off for Hilbre as on the return journey there seemed to be a never ending procession of people that we passed.
The large number of Brent geese were probably the highlight of the day, although seeing Grey seals on the West Hoyle sandbank as it emerged was good too.
Lunch was enjoyed on the Eastern edge of Middle Eye where the New Year was celebrated with some of Martyn's rum flavoured fruit cake and Stilton cheese provided by Fran.
Birds seen today included: Black-headed gull, Herring gull, Common gull, Merganser, Goldeneye, Knot, Dunlin, Redshank, Oyster catcher, Purple sandpiper, Brent goose, Ring plover, Carrion crow, Winter wren, Shelduck, Turnstone, Grey heron, Curlew, Black-tailed godwit, Meadow pipit and Wigeon.
After walk drinks were enjoyed enjoyed at the Wheatsheaf at Raby. Local brewery from Brimstage provided the beers of choice with Oyster Catcher and Trappers Hat going down well. Annie even had a Cider!

No comments: