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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, 16 June 2018

Higher Ferry to Hawarden Bridge 16th June 2018

Looking West from the Higher Ferry Footbridge
An Oystercatcher on a sand bank in the River Dee.
Beluga3 coming into land at Hawarden Airport.
Herring gulls in the River Dee before the tide comes in.
Looking east towards the Queensferry Blue Bridge.
Hawarden Bridge from near the seat where I waited for the bore to arrive.
A Carrion crow on the sand bank, just before the bore arrived.
The tidal bore on the River Dee as it flows between Hawarden Bridge and the Blue Queensferry Bridge.
(lots of noise interference on the video, mainly from the wind, but also an ambulance siren,
so probably best viewed with the sound turned down.)
Walk stats: Distance: 6.0 miles. Climb: 120'.
Time on the move: 2 hours 20 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.6 m.p.h.
As I had no taker for the posted Saturday walk, I decided to walk from home and along the Coastal Path on the North side of the River Dee t Hawarden Bridge. The Liverpool Tide Gide suggested that the high tide at Liverpool would be 9.6 m (31.4' at 13-48, so should be arriving at Hawarden Bridge around 12-00.
 As I walked along the river, I did some birdwatching. Nothing unusual, but I did see two Common terns, one near the Higher Ferry Footbridge and one a little East of Hawarden Bridge just before the tidal bore arrived.
 It wa good to see and hear several Skylarks singing high above what looked like potato fields on the Sealand side f the river.
 Birds seen or heard today included: Common blackbird, House sparrow, Common starling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Collared dove, Woodpigeon, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, House martin, Barn swallow, Common swift, Black-billed magpie, Mallard, Common chaffinch, Herring gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Black-headed gull, Grey heron, Oystercatcher,Lapwing, Feral pigeon, Skylark and Common tern.
 I was approaching Hawarden Bridge at about 11-50, so had a little time to wait. Thankfully there were benches available on which to sit as I waited for the tidal bore to arrive. I passed the time by listening to the commentary on the ODI match between England and Australia.
 Overall a very pleasant walk, dull for the most part, but not cold and pleasantly warm when the Sun came out as I sat and waited for the tidal bore.
 Although the height of the tidal bore wasn't that great, it is always good to see it, and it always amazes me how fast it flows.

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