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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 25 January 2014

A Coastal Walk From Llanfairfechan 25th January 2014

Recent storm damage in a woodland adjacent to the Afon Aber.
On of 5 sightings of Little Egrets today.
A Chaffinch seen from the hide at the Aber Ogwen nature Reserve.
Roger walking past the storm damage on the way Morfa Madryn nature Reserve.
One of the many Wigeon seen today.
Brent geese seen West of Llanfairfechan.
Walk stats: Distance: 10.8 miles. Climb: GPS wind assisted 1670', in reality about 100'!
Time: 5 hours 36 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.4 m.0.h. Overall walk average: 1.9 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn and Roger.
We arrived at the start with the car registering temperature of 10 Celsius, and at times wondered why we were in full Winter gear! However the Westerly / South westerly wind, whilst not being cold was enough to keep us relatively cool. No rain at all during the morning stroll to the Aber Ogwen Nature Reserve.
 The tide was pretty well at its lowest, so most of the birds were only seen in the distance, but on the way back a few more came in closer as the incoming tide approached.
 As it was still on the breezy side, I decide our best option for lunch was to take advantage of one of the hides on the Aber Ogwen Nature Reserve.
 This turned out to be a good choice as we saw quite a few birds as we enjoyed our lunch, but more important we were able to sit out, an horrendous storm in which the thunder was so close it made the seats in the hide shake!
 Having sat out the storm, we had one shower on the way back, not that much, and the wind was in the right direction to assist our progress. 
 Birds seen or heard today included: Feral pigeon, Mallard, Mute swan, Goosander, Brent goose, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Lapwing, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Black-headed gull, Herring gull, Great black-backed gull, Eurasian curlew, Oystercatcher, Blue tit, Great tit, House sparrow, Chaffinch, Moorhen, Grey heron, Common starling, Dunlin, Little egret, Common redshank, European robin, Common blackbird and Black-billed magpie.
 Overall a delightful coastal walk, even if Roger did manage to get wet as he changed his boots at the end of the walk!
 After walk drinks as always were enjoyed at the Britannia Inn at Pentre Halkyn, where the Lees bitter went down well. It was good to see the Britannia so full that we had to go into the small room on the opposite side of the bar to our normal place by the fire!

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