A Riverside Walk Cut Short 11th February 2021

A Riverside Walk Cut Short 11th February.

The incoming tide that came through too quick for me!

A Great tit takes advantage of half a coconut hanging from the tree.

Lapwing on a partly ploughed field west of Thornleigh Gutter.

Distance: 4.9 miles. Climb: 88'.

Time: 1 hour 44 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.8 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

Another bright and cold day for walking with the south easterly wind making it feel quite cool at times.

Arrived at the Riverside on River Lane to see a sand/mud bank on the bnd of the river along with a couple of Great cormorants and a fe gulls. The river has been so high lately, I thought it would be a good idea to take a photo for the record. Unfortunatley I was too slow taking my camera out and the incoming tidal bore had swept over the sand/mud bank sending the birds into the air.

Birds seen or heard today included: Mallard, Moorhen, Dunock, Common blackbird, Blue tit, Great tit, Long btailed tit, European robin, Wodpigeon, Collared dove, House sparrow, Pied wagtail, Carrion crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Raven, Great cormorant, Black headed gull, Lesser black back gull, Herring gull, Black billed magpie, Redwing, Fieldfare, Common starling, Lapwing, Little egret and Goosander.

I arrived home in plenty of time for my expected delivery and once again with clean boots.

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.

A Shorter Saltney Ferry - Old Dee Bridge Round 8th February 2021

A Shorter Saltney Ferry - Old Dee Bridge Round.

Snowdrops below the Wales Coast Path, south east of Higher Ferry.

A Grey heron on the Saltney side of the river.

A Raven foraging in a field close to the border.

A Mistle thrush perching on a hedge to next to the Wales Coast Path.

Great cormorants, Herring gulls and Moorhen on a mud/sand bank oppsite The Cop.

11 Great cormorants perched in a tree below Dingle Bank, Curzon Park.

Chester weir from the Old Dee Bridge.

A female Goosander fishing below the Old Dee Bridge.

Distance: 8.4 miles. Climb: 110'.

Time: 3 hours 8 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.6 m.p.h.
Max wind speed: 12.6 m.p.h. Lowest temperature: 4.1 Celcius.
Group: Martyn.

A good day for walkng, although the cold wind demanded only brief times when hands were exposed to the elements. There were also has brief spells of hail, so small it was rather difficult to establish that it was hail!

It was good to see Snowdrops out a Daffodils too,  but will I be "free" in time to go on a "Bluebell Wood Walk"?

Plenty of people out, but I think lockdown must be getting to most of them, eyes down, no eye contact, few smiles and even fewer bothered to reply to a "good morning or hi".

However once on the Saltney side of the river all three people spoke and even smiled!

Birds seen or heard today included: Feral pigeon, Black billed magpie, Dunnock, House sparrow, Raven, Great cormorant, European robin, Herring gull, Lesser blackdk back gull, Black headed gull, Common gull, Common blackbird, Collared dove, Moorhen, Mallard, Teal, Blue tit, Great tit, Song thrush, Winter wren, Woodpigeon, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Grey heron, Goldfinch, House sparrow and Goosander.

A Repeat of The Saltney Ferry, Thornleigh Park Farm and the Wales Coast Path 6th February 2021

A Repeat of The Saltney Ferry, Thornleigh Park Farm and the Wales Coast Path.

Woodpigeons in trees adjacent to Thornleigh Park Caravan Park.

A Little egret in one o the Thornleigh Park Farm fields.

A female Pied wagtail looking for insects/grubs on the rotting horse manure and bedding.

A raven on the top of a pollareded tree next to Thornleigh Gutter.

The surprise of the day, clumps of Snowdrops on the bank of the River Dee, near Higher Ferry Footbridge

Distance: 9.7 m.p.h. Climb: 85'.
Time: 3 hours 50 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.5 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

Initially I was going to do a short 5 mile walk, put once on the Wales Coast Path , I ended up talking to a local "birder" as far as the Queensferry Road Bridge. He never stopped talking all the way to the Quuensferry Road Bridge, but at least I found out where I would have the best chance of seeing a Merlin. Needless to say we didn't see one today.

As I set off, it was pleasantly mild and large parts of the sky were blue, but iy didn't last and as I turned to retrace my steps back to the Higher Ferry Footbridge it began to rai, but only lasted for about half an hour or so.

Once again several motorbies were racing up and down the Wales Coast Path, all driven by youths that looked too young to hold a driving license and some including a pillion rider didn't where helmets.

Many cyclists can annoy me by the way they behave on the path, but at least they have a legitimate right to be there, as far as I know motorbikes don't.

Birds seen or heard today included: Moorhen, Mallard, Common blackbird, Blue tit, Great tit, European robin, Collared dove, House sparrow, Long tailed tit, Grey heron, Little egret, Goldfinch, Woodpigeon, Common starling, Common kestrel, Common buzzard, Raven, Carrion crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Oystercatcher, Pied wagtail, Common redshank, Common chaffinch, Great cormorant, Greenfinch, Black headed gull, Lesser black back gull, Herring gull, Winter wren and Lapwing.

I arrived home, having had a good informed walk and ready for a good cup of tea.

Saltney Ferry, Thornleigh Park Farm and the Wales Coast Path 4th February 2021

Saltney Ferry, Thornleigh Park Farm and the Wales Coast Path.

Redwing in a tree adjacent to the Thornleigh Park Farm access track.

A Song thrush a the pollareded tree next to Thornleigh Gutter.

A song thrush singing and competing against the wind.

Onea of the private planes heading for Hawarden Airport.

A Great black backed gull floating on the surface of the water heading downriver with the ebbing tide.

Lapwing on a flooded farm field.

A Moorhen on the to of the bank of Balderton Brook outflow.

A male Mallard keeping his eye on his partner!

Distance: 9.7 niles. Climb: 115'.
Time: 4 hours 5 minutes. On the move walking average: 3.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.4 m.p.h.
Wind speed: Max 11.8 m.p.h. Temperature: 8.8 to 9.2 Celsius.
Group: Martyn.

A good day for walking, overcast, dry with a coolish breeze.

The highlight today was hearing several Song thrushes singing. No Belugas today, just two private planes and the Police helicopter.

Birds seen or heard today included: Europen robin, House sparrow, Black billed magpie, Collared dove, Common blackbird, Blue tit, Great tit, Greenfinch, Common chaffinch, Long tailed tit, Black headed gull, Common gull, Grey heron, Little egret, Woodpigeon, Song thrush, Raven, Rook, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Great cormorant, Mallard, Moorhen, Lapwing, Common redshank and Pied wagtail.

Relatively quiet on the Wales Coast Path, a few walkers, dog walkers, a motorised scooter, two joggers and some cyclists, The latter being in the majority, including one tandem. The two on the tandem were perhaps the only two that had an excuse not to keep to the social distancing rule!

An enjoyable walk, happy to get home once again with clean boots!

Another Saltney Ferry - Old Dee Bridge Round 1st February 2021

Another Saltney Ferry - Old Dee Bridge Round.

A Moorhen preening after bathing in Balderton Brook.

A Song thrush near the Riverside Path, north west of River Lane, Saltney.

A Raven returning to its nest in Scots pines near Higher Ferry.

Carrion crows in a field south east of Bumper's Lane, Chester - still in Wales.

Great cormorants share the mud bank with Moorhens and Herring gulls.

The second Song thrush seen today.

A Teal shows itself as it heads into open water.

Distance: 9.9 miles. Climb: 105'.
Time: 4 hours 20 mnutes. On the move walking average: 3.0 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.3 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn.

This was another superb day for walking, warm and sunny and very little wind. I have just purchased a hand held anemometer and it also records the temperature. The max wind speed recorded was 4.2 m.p.h. and temperature was 11.7 Celsius. This seemed a little high, but when I took the temperature a second time a couple of hours later it was 9.7 Celsius, so perhaps the first one was right as well.

No Beluga's today, but a couple of RAF training jets flew in and out of Hawarden Airfield making just as much noise as the Beluga XL taking off.

The highlight of the day s birdwise was probably a pir of Ravens carrying nesting material to their mest in Scots Pines near Higher Ferry. Song thrushes singing was good as well and European robins were snging everywhere.

Birds seen or heard today included: Moorhen, Mallard, Teal, House sparrow, Greenfinch, Pied wagtail, Black billed magpie, Blue tit, Common blackbird (mainly female birds) Goldfinch, Carrion crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Raven, Black headed gull, Herring gull, Lesser black back gull, Collared dove, Woodpigeon, Common pheasant, Common buzzard, Common gull and Great cormorant.

An enjoyable walk, and back in time to be able to clean my boots outside with the Su still shining - always a bonus.

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.