A walk Between Meals and Another Bore Slipped By Unnoticed 31st January 2021

A Walk Between Meals and Another Bore Slipped By Unnoticed.

A Sunday flypast.

Great cormorants doing what they like to do.

Great cormorants standing by.

We can't keep still - on watch all of the time - we are the sentinels wherever we are!

Common redshank on the river bank.

A stick riding on the rising tide towards Chester, confirming that I missed seeing the tidal bore once more, assuming that there was one!

Common starlings in a tree west of Bumper's Lane.

Common starligs on the move.

Distance: 5.5 miles. Climb: 85'.

Time: 1 hour 55 minutes. On the move waking average: 3.1 m.p.h. Overall walk average; 2.8 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

Overcast, dry and with a north eastely wind it felt pretty cool, not a day for standing around!

Once again I had hoped to see a tidal bore, but once more it slipped by without me noticing. At least I have learned that when there is a lot of water running off the hills, it results in the bore being suppressed.

Even the birds were quiet today, obviously sheltering from the cold wind.

Birds seen or heard today included: Common blackbird, Euriopean robin, Pied wagtail, Mallard, Teal, Great cormorant, Common redshank, Moorhen, Black headed gull, Herring gull, Common gull, Common starling and Moorhen.

A short but enjoyable walk back in plenty of time to start the Sunday roast.

A Wolf Start and a Missed Bore 29th January 2021

A Wolf Start and a Missed Bore.

The Wolf Moon this morning.

The first Greenfinch seen today.

The second Greenfinch seen today.

The only Grey heron seen today.

Two Great cormorants watching the rising tide.

Beluga ST 1 approaching Hawarden Airfield.

The landing approach of one of the private planes.

You can come with me, but I might stop for a snack on the way.

Another private plane approaches Hawarden Airfield.

Distance: 9.2 miles. Climb: 89'.

Time: 3 hours 30 minutes. Onthe move waling average: 3.1 m.p.h. Overall wal average: 2.6 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

The morning started well, with the clouds clearing just as daylight broke, and the Wolf Moon (first full moon of the year) could be clearly seen and the dawn chorus had started.

I set off quite early, hoping to see the tidal bore as high tide at Liverpool was over 30', so I thought it would result in a fairly decent sized bore. I was wrong, I didn't even here or see it go past. Perhaps I'll try again tomorrow.

Birds seen or heard today included: Moorhen, Mallard, Black billed magpie, Collared dove, Pied wagtail, European robin, Mistle thrush, Dunnock, House sparrow, Common starling, Great cormorant. Greenfinch, Common blackbird, Blue tit, Great tit, Little egret, Common redshank, Raven, Common buzzard, Carrion crow, Grey heron, Jackdaw, Common chaffinch, Black headed gull, Herring gull and Oystercatcher.

A good day for walking, mainly overcast, with some sunny intervals and at times a coolish wind.

Only the Beluga ST flew into Airbus this morning followed by at least three small private planes.

The Wales Coast Path and More 27th January 2021

The Wales Coast Path and More.

River reflections.

Ravens beak tapping.

Let's have a rest!

The Beluga XL coming into land.

A Moorhen going in circles.

There are >1000 gulls in this photo!

The third Raven seen stoday.

From large to little - a Blue tit poses.

Three Great cormorants, including one with some leucistic markings.

A male Goosander.

Chester weir - back as we like to see it.

Bogus Grey herons!

A posing European robin on The Riverside, Saltney.

A few more of the original steps down to the ferry can be seen.

Distance: 9.6 miles. Climb: 157'.
Time: 4 hours 3 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.4 m.p.h. (I blame LeRoi for the slow overall walking average).
Group: Martyn.

An overcast, mild (about 8 Celsius), dry and calm day - perfect for a walk, especially with heavy rain on the cards for tomorrow.

I arrived at the rverside to find the river still pretty high, with only the top few steps leading down to the old ferry pickup place, but a few more had appeared when I returned about three hours later.  The river was so calm that reflections of the trees adjacent to the Wales Coast Path could seen on the water.

Singing European robins seemed to be everywhere, no doubt starting to set up territories. However the bird spot of the day was a pair of Ravens engaging in beak tapping, a form of pair bonding ritual. This wasn't the only Raven, another one was perched on an isolated tree near the start of the Wales Coast Path. The surprise in terms of birds was in the sheer numbers of gulls in the flooded fields on the south side of Bumper's Lane. One field had a mixed flock of  >1000 birds (Black headed gulls, Herring gulls, Common gulls and Lesser black back gulls_ Other fields had several hundred gulls.

Birds seen or head today included: Collared dove, European robin, Blue tit, Great tit, Greenfinch, House sparrow, Common blackbird, Woodpigeon, Common starling, Dunnock, Moorhen, Mallard, Teal, Great cormorant, Black billed magpie, Pied wagtail, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Rook, Raven, Common pheasant, Mistle thrush, Goosander and Black headed gull, Herring gull, Common gulls and Lesser black back gull.

Along Castle Drive, Chester, I stopped when I heard my name called - it was LeRoi on his way home after a cycle ride. We spent a very pleasant twenty minutes or so catching up with each other. Unexpected encouters like this give a delightful added extra to a solo walk.

Another surprise was to see a tent pitched by the riverside, presumeably with someone still inside, but I didn't check.

Throughout the walk, on at least twenty occasions,  I kept on seeing what looked like Grey herons with the naked eye, but careful looking all turned out to be plastic litter hanging from the overhanging tree branches.

As many of you know, I have often had a tendency to shed a little water on a walk, using several hankies to continually wipe the perspiration from my brow and clean my misted up glasses, so on this occasion I decided to weigh myself when I arrived home.  To my surprise, I had lost 0.8 kg on the walk. No doubt it will all go back on after a few cups of tean and coffee!.

An Afternoon Stroll in the Sun 25th January 2021

An Afternoon Stroll in the Sun.

A white Moel Famau.

Redwings in a field west of Higher Ferry.

Fieldfare in a field west of Higher Ferry.

The snow covered Clwydian Hills on the skyline.

The Sun reflecting in the river.

Distance: 7.1 miles.Climb: 100'.
Time: 2 hours 39 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.1 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.7 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

I watched the Sri Lanka v England test match until it finished just after 11-30 with a win for England, before I decided to set off. By this time, it was bright and sunny and any ice on the pavements / paths had melted. At times the angle of the Sun made it difficult to see ahead of you. even when my glasses wth photochromic lenses.  However the cool wind meant that I was never in any danger of overheating!

Moel Famau, Moel Lys-y-coed and Moel Arthur stood out in the bright sunshine and decked in a good covering of snow. Hope Mountain and Halkyn Mountain both had some snow, but it didn't seem to be a total whiteover.

The River Dee still had plenty of run off and only the three top steps at the old Saltney Ferry pick up point were above the water.

Birds seen or heard today included: Moorhen, Black billed magpie, Common blackbird, Black headed gull, Herring gull, Great cormorant (one with white breeding patch), Mallard, House sparrow, Blue tit, Great tit, Collared dove, Lapwing, Common kestrel, Woodpigeon, Redwing, Mistle thrush, Fieldfare, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion crow, Pied wagtail, Grey heron and Common redshank.

An enjoyable walk without the need for a grumble about lycra loonies!

A Riverside Walk via the Old Dee Bridge 22nd January 2021

A Riverside Walk via the Old Dee Bridge.

Moel Famau from Saltney Quay.

Moel Famau from Saltney Quay.

They won't be playing golf here any time soon.

Looking back at the flooded section of River Lane, Handbridge.

The Old Dee Bridge from Edgar's Field.

Where has Chester Weir gone?

The River Dee creeping ever closer to te Roode Racecourse.

Chester Roodee Racecourse  not unusual, I can remember football matches being called off because of flooding fifty years ago!

The fast flowing River Dee tryng to get to the sea before the tide comes in!

The fast flowing river, looking towards Chester from The Riverside, Saltney.

Distance: 8.7 miles. Climb: 125'.
Time: 3 hours 19 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.6 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

I was rather late setting off as I decided to watch the cricket test match first.

The weather by now was superb, warm and sunny, but not quite a shorts day! The river was as high as I have seen it for some time, considering high tide wasn't due until late afternoon. Chester weir was nowhere to be seen and the water was laping the side of the path on the south aside of the Roodee Racecourse.

Part of River Lane in Handbridge was flooded, I just about got through without getting wet feet, but it was a near thing, it must have been about 8 inches deep in places.

The highlight of the walk was seeing a couple from church from our house group (Bob and Sue)  whou I have seen since March 2020) who were getting their daily exercise as well.

Birds seen or heard today included: Great tit, Blue tit, Goldfinch, Black billed magpie, Common blackbird, European robin, House sparrow, Moorhen, Teal, Black headed gull, Herring gull, Woodpigeon, Winter wren, Great cormorant, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Raven and Mistle thrush.

Plenty of people out walking today, but not so many lycra loonies.

An enjoyable walk with a bit more variety than heading just west!

Keeping My Boots Clean on A Riveside Walk 21st January 2021

Keeping My Boots Clean on A Riveside Walk.

Balderton Brook from Stonebridge, Saltney.

Hope Mountain from the Saltney Ferry Footbridge.

Flooded fields south of Deeside Lane, Sealand.

A natural serpent wood scuplture by the river and left behind by recent high tides, but not natural colours!

Hint of a rainbow over the bridges.

Hope Mountain showing its coating of snow.

Fishing, but it can't be that good here!

The Thornleigh Drainage Gutter verflowing the pumping station.

Flooded field in front of the farm close to where I live.

The flood at the bottom of my garden, and the flooded school field beyond.

Distance: 9.4 miles. Climb: 1450' (wind assisted GPS reading) in reality about 88'.
Time: 3 hours 24 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.1 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.8 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

I had hoped today would be my first Winter walk in the snow, but it wasn't to be, when I got up this morming all the snow that fell last night had disappeared and could only be seen in the distance on Hope Mountain and Moel Famau.

Nevertheless the forecast for walking was a good one, sunny spells, but feeling cold in the strong wind.  The Met Office got it right, although the wind seemed nearer their prediction they gave for gusts.

In this wind, most birds seemed to be sheltering, but thos I did see included: Mallard, European robin, Common blackbird, House sparrow, Great tit, Woodpigeon, Black billed magpie, Black headed gull, Carrion crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Great cormorant, Black headed gull, Great black back gull, Herring gull, Common chaffinch and Pied wagtail.

After the heavy rain over the last few days, it was very obvious how saturated the local land had become, including my garden, St., David's High School Playing Field and local farm land. Balderton Brook was at the highest level that I have seen and the Thornleigh Park and Sealand Drainage Gutters were overflowing despite the pumping system trying reduce the level by discharging it into the river. 

Not so many people out today, a few walkers dog walkers, joggers and cyclist (some forced to walk with their bikes by the strong cross wind).

As I turned back at the Queensferry Road Bridge, the Sun felt really warm and gloves needed earlier could be left in my jacket pockets.

No Belugas today, only the Police helicopter returning to Hawarden Airport, presumeably to refuel.

Overall an enjoyable with mission accomplished - boots still clean when I got home.

The Last Walk Before The rains Come 18th January 2021

The Last Walk Before The Rains Come.

A male Common blackbird on the riverside.

A shy female Common blackbird runns away.

Great cormarants and Mallards share the bank.

A Great black back gull on post duty.

The resident Common kestrel takes stock from its perch on power line.

A Beluga XL taxis to the end of the runway before taking off.

The Beluga XL starting its run up.

The Beluga XL lifts off the runway.

Distance: 9.8 miles. Climb: 108'.
Time: 3 hours 56 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.9 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.4 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

This was the last chance for a dry walk before the onset of three days of heavy rain starting on Monday evening, so I set off just after 10-00, after completing my usual weekly shop. Quite cool at times and not much Sun, but still a good day for walking.

Plenty of people about, but thankfully no off road motor bikes.

i saw rwo Beluga's, both taking off from Hawarden Airport, the first the original Beluga ST and towards the end of the walk one of the Beluga XLs.

Not that many birds showing well at the moment, but there seems a lot of Great cormorants fishing on the Dee between Saltney and Queensferry.

Birds seen or heard today included: Collared dove, European robin, Mallard, Moorhen, House sparrow, Great tit, Common starling, Dunnock, Common blackbird, Pink footed goose, Great cormorant, Black headed gull, Common redshank, Herring gul, Common gull. Great black back gull, Common chaffinch, Carrion crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Feral pigeon, Black billed magpie, Eoropean robin, Grey heron, Canada goose, Blue tit, Goldfinch, Common kestrel and Pied wagtail.

It was under ten miles, but I was still glad to get home and put up my feet a drink a refreshing few cups of tea with a little whisky added.

I met a former neighbour and even though he is 85, he still walks everyday whatever the weather - will I have the courage to do the same when it is raining tomorrow? I doubt it!

A Riverside Walk with a Purposeful Extension 17th January 2021

A Riverside Walk with a Purposeful Extension

An iconic venue - my first photo of 2021 with my repaired camera.

Part of my riverside walk, with views towards Moel Famau.

Moel Famau on the horizon.

Heading for the Higher Ferry Footbridge on my way home.

Distance: 6.4 niles. Climb: 125'.
Time: 2 hours 16 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.8 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn.

After an early rise to watch the cricket live from Sri Lanka, I decided that I would have a lazy day, despite the encouraging weather forecast.

However all changed when Currys/PC World phoned me to say that my camera had been repaired and was ready to be collected.

So my walk today involved walking along the riverside from Saltney, crossing the Saltney ferry Footbridge, up Ferry Lane to Sealand Road and along to pick up my camera from Currys/PC World. The return route was down Bumper's Lane to the river and along the Wales Coast Path to the Higher Ferry Footbrisge and back home over Mold Junction Bridge and through the Mainwaring Estate.

It was good to see lots of family groups out walk, a few cyclists and m only gripe today was four people on off road motor bikes crossing the Higher Ferry Footbridge and using the Wales Coast Path (on both sides of the river - all illegal as these are not bridle ways.

Birds seen or heard tody included: Mallard, Moorhen, Collared dove, Common blackbird, Woodpigeon, Goldfinch, Feral ,pigepn, Black billed magpie, Black headed gull, Herring gull, Carrion crow, European robin and Great tit.