I've always hated Bonfire Night, so instead of going to a fireworks display last Wednesday, I headed over to Martin Mere late afternoon.
The reserve was shrouded in November mist and Autumnal smells, and there were crunchy golden leaves underfoot. It was magical. I love Autumn.
I popped in the In Focus shop first as I desperately needed some new bins! They are an early Crimbo present from my folks and a much-needed replacement for my fifteen-year-old petrol coupon freebies!! I spent at least an hour in there, trying out about five different pairs and chatting to the very helpful assistant, before settling on a pair of Opticron 8x40s. They weren't cheap, but were much cheaper than I expected! And they are fab. Even little short-sighted me can see clearly through them!
Whilst in In Focus, I took the opportunity to check out the view (and the birds of course!), as I have never actually been in there before. There were hundreds of Whoopers and Pink Feet, along with Lapwing, Shelduck (including one escaped Cape Shelduck, which stood out like a sore thumb), Pochard, Pintail, Teal, Black-Headed Gulls, and - to my excitement - a distant immature Peregrine, a Buzzard and a Grey Heron!! They made rather an odd trio, all perched in a line on fence posts on the far side of the Mere! The Heron was joined by a second one, then the Buzzard displaced the Peregrine from it's post and they both flew away. The day was turning out to be a good 'un!
Next up was Swanlink Hide, which gave fantastic views of hundreds upon hundreds of Whoopers. They included many family parties, with adults and juveniles all honking away and nodding their heads in greeting. There were loads more Pink Feet, mooching about in the grass with the Greylags, and all the usual wildfowl. There were also four or five Ruff on a far island, and a few Cormorants drying their wings on an island at the very back of the pool. A Marsh Harrier briefly made an appearance, flying over the water and out of sight.
Janet Kear Hide was pretty quiet, with the only birds of note being a handful of Goldfinches and a Greenfinch. United Utilities Hide was a bit more exciting to say the least! Hundreds more Whoopers could be seen, along with two Grey Herons, and thousands of Pink Feet! Thousands more flew over head in three or four different skeins, making that wonderfully evocative sound which makes my heart leap with the joys of, erm, Autumn! I took a couple of (shaky) videos of the Pinkies flying over, which I hope to put on this site.
As I was about to leave, I noticed a distant Marsh Harrier soaring past. It joined a second Marsh Harrier which was sitting on a burnt-out tree stump. The two birds sat together for a while, until a couple of Crows began to mob them! One of the Harriers flew off but was chased by the Crows, who were literally trying to land on it's back and floor it! The three birds disappeared from sight behind some tall grass, so I moved on.
Harrier Hide was next, which yielded decent numbers of Mallard, Wigeon, Pintail and Tufted Duck, but no more Harriers. It was nearing 3pm, so I decided to head over to Raines Observatory for the swan feed, pausing only to admire a very cheeky Robin who posed for photos on a tree stump! I have watched the swan feed many times before, but it is always a pleasure to see. Luckily there weren't many visitors in there, so I got a good seat and a brilliant view! Although there were only about 500 Whoopers (and sadly no Bewicks) around, the spectacle was no less captivating. Besides the swans there were also sizeable numbers of Shelduck, Pochard, Pintail, Wigeon, Teal and Mallard coming up to feed in front of the window, whilst Lapwings, Pink Feet and Greylags also milled about.
I was being picked up at 4pm so I couldn't hang around for much of the talk. I headed back over to the car park with eyes raised to the sky and thoughts of the Starling spectacle I witnessed around this time last year. No sign, but there will be soon! And I hope to be there when it happens!
So, Bonfire Night this year was extra special for me, and definitely unforgettable. It is always a treat visiting Martin Mere, but especially so at this time of year. My day certainly went with a bang! (I've got to stop these terrible puns...) See photo section.
Thursday 30th October I headed over to the Three Sisters. There was an opening ceremony for Phase One - or whatever it is - of the new wetland area, and Special Guest and Ribbon-Cutter was David Bellamy no less! The place was packed, so I spent an hour or so wandering round the reserve, then another half hour at the feeding station.
The pathways were pretty quiet; unsurprisingly so, since every child and dog-walker in Ashton had descended upon the place! But the feeding station was a hive of activity. Blue, Great, Coal and Willow Tits flitted about on the new peanut feeders, whilst Robins, Chaffinches, Greenfinches and grey squirrels attacked the bird tables. A Wren was creeping about in the mosses at the base of the trees, and two huge rats scurried about, but there was no sign of the rabbits I usually see there.
After a while I headed back to the lake, which was very busy, with Black-Headed Gulls, Mallard, Pochard, Coot, Moorhens, Mute Swans and Canada Geese all milling about. One or two Tufted Duck could also be seen on the far side of the water. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the two Goosander which normally reside there, but they were nowhere to be seen.
Back on the car park, Mr. Bellamy was changing out of his wellies and into his shoes, so I collared him for a quick chat. I remember watching him on TV when I was younger so it was weird to actually meet him! Apparently he was banned from telly a few years back because of his controversial views on climate change! I have to say this is a shame as he was a very nice man! It was nice of him to stop and chat, and he told me he had just spent a few days in China, and was off to New Zealand next to work on a project he started twenty years ago! Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of him as I thought this may be pushing it a bit, but I won't forget what a Thoroughly Decent Chap he was!
Tuesday 28th October I spent the day at Delamere Forest. It was freezing cold and very, very quiet birdwise...but well worth the trip!
Driving down to the forest, we noticed that a few cars actually had snow on their bonnets! Once there, we spent a good twenty minutes bundled up in the car waiting for the rain to stop! Crazy weather! When we eventually braved the elements and stepped outside, we realised just how cold it really was; covering the orange and brown autumn leaves were thin patches of snow. It looked beautiful - but felt rather chilly!!
We spent a good couple of hours walking around the forest, stopping mid-afternoon for a coffee at the visitor centre. We sat on the benches in the outdoor covered area for half an hour or so, and after mild panic from me when a huge spider landed on my shoulder (who am I trying to kid? They heard my screams at Martin Mere...), we set off on the long walk back to the car.
The most I saw was a Robin and two Chaffinches, and a single grey squirrel which legged it in the opposite direction when it saw my friend's dogs coming. But this was unsurprising really as there were lots of visitors that day. And lots of cyclists! There is a bike hire place at Delamere, and every other person whizzes past on two wheels...or one wheel, in the case of the unicyclist who passed us on the bridge! There were even three seater bicycles for hire, and I must admit I was tempted, but I don't think Simba and Dippy would manage a bike with four legs and a tail each...
I have to say, Delamere was pretty disappointing in terms of birds, but the walk was refreshing, and the scenery beautiful. Coupled with great company, and a cracking chip barmcake from a chippy in nearby Frodsham, it was one of the best days out I've had this year! (see photo section for evidence of snow!)
