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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, 10 February 2021

A Saltney Ferry, Thornleigh Park Farm and Deeside Lane Round 10th February 2021

A Saltney Ferry, Thornleigh Park Farm and Deeside Lane Round.
House sparrows get into the picture.
A Grey heron in a field near Bees Cottages on Ferry Lane.
A Great spotted woodpecker near Thornleigh Park Farm.
Following the plough.
"Who should I choose?"
I watched these two Grey squirrels for several minutes, but neither moved an inch!
A stand off between two Grey squirrels.
Whooper swans near Deeside House Farm.
A Common kestrel getting ready to go hunting.
Bath time for gulls.
Lapwings take to the air, put up by a bird of prey.
Distance: 10.0 miles. Climb: 140'.
Time: 4 hours 23 minutes.On the move walking average: 3.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.3 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn,
I set off about 09-30 with the Sun shining brightly and almost wall to wall blue skies. The easterly wind was quite cool, but thankfully t only blew in fits and starts and even then it wasn't anything more than a gentle breeze.
I decided to include the path from Woodhouse Farm on Deeside Lane across the field back to the Wales Coast Path, taking advantage of the fact the ground across the usually muddy field would be frozen. It was - so no muddy boots to clean when I got home!
Three surprises today, the first was seeing a farmer starting to plough one of his fields with many guls in attendance, the second was seeing a Merlin and thirdly seeing fifteen Whooper swans on a field near Deeside House.
A slightly unexpected event was seeing a large group of gulls on the river, but very close togerher and looking like what I thought could be a feeding frenzy, but feeding on what. It turned out to be nothing more than a communial bath time!
Birds seen or heard today include: House sparrow, Common starling, Collared dove, Feral pigeon, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Pied wagtail, Great tit, Common blackbird, Long tailed tit, Moorhen, Mallard, Grey heron, Great spotted woodpecker, Mistle thrush, Fieldfare, Redwing, Carrion crow, Raven, Common chaffinch, Great cormorant, Common redshank, Common kestrel, Merlin, Common buzzard, Winter wren, European robin, Lapwing, Black headed gull, Lesser black back gull, Jackdaw and Whooper swan.
Overall a very enjoyable walk.

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