Thursday 2nd. April 2020
Rain and strong winds this morning with a temperature of only 9C, so I stayed indoors and went to Mobberley SQ this afternoon when the sun appeared. Half of Mobberley and their dogs had the same idea. Waste of time. I shall go down Fox Harbour tomorrow morning, as I should have done today.
Jayne Davies took to the roads of Mobberley on her bike yesterday, with some success.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I opted to go for a bike ride as a change from my usual walk - out along Town Lane, Hall Lane, Newton Hall Lane, and back via Davenport Lane, Hobcroft Lane, Smith Lane. Plenty of birdsong to be heard along the way: dunnock, robin, blackbird, song thrush and most noticeably chiffchaff, whose song was easily audible above the sound of the wind in my ears. Just past the Victory Hall a nuthatch flew across the road in front of me - one for my "Lockdown List" as they've been absent from my garden recently. A little further along I had a lovely view of a jay, flying ahead of me along Hall Lane. I hoped to see lapwings as I headed for home up Smith Lane, but no luck.
Today I set out for a walk, but timed it badly as the rain swept in shortly after I set off. So I cut short my walk and ate my lunch watching the birds in the garden: goldfinch, greenfinch, chaffinch, house sparrow, robin, blue tit, blackbird, starling, jackdaw, wood pigeon, collared dove.
The hedgehog has put in another brief appearance on my garden trailcam, just its back end disappearing rapidly from the field of view!
Jude Halman was out and about yesterday, but took time out today.
Yesterday saw a Jay with nesting material on Tabley road, did a count but very low only 27, thought I could go down to the pool in the park and get a few more but decided not essential!!.
Bob Groom has recovered from his recent problem and is "back on patrol",
Female Sparrowhawk gave good views. Lapwings rolling and tumbling in the sunshine. Lesser Black-Backed Gulls gathering as a tractor ploughed in maize stubble. Several Stock Doves and a lot of Wood Pigeons. Counted 105 Fieldfares in recently manured field but only half-a-dozen Redwings. Buzzards soaring. Chiffchaff singing on territory but no blackcap there as yet. 2 Long-Tailed Tits. Female House Sparrow eating blossom......Bob
you can't keep a good man down!
KOS Secretary Derek Pike has sent me a picture of his rather splendid back garden water feature, with a Great Tit in attendance.
Darren Morris was another person exploring Mobberley today!
A bit of a change today by combining some of my favourite pastimes. So a 10km run around Mobberley listening to music and looking for birds!
On the long straight run to Mobberley village it was nice to enjoy fresh air after being cooped up. The locals wandering around aimlessly looking mystified, nothing to do with the pandemic, just a normal day! No sign of Tony which would have been a nice tick.
After admiring the chainsaw carving of the unknown soldier outside the Victory Hall, I turned left onto Church Lane. I don't know Mobberley that well but I've wanted to see the church for a long time as a big admirer of George Mallory, he climbed the tower here as a boy as his father was vicar here.
The route took me past the Church inn and then The Railway, good job they were shut otherwise I may have been tempted.
A few Chaffinch and blue tits in the hedges along the way. Past a house called Tatton View which really did have a good view not only of Tatton's woodlands but a large vista of Cheshire countryside.
Heading back along Smith Lane, just a Moorhen on a small pond and a pigeon overhead.
Perhaps not the best way of birding but I got out and it was lovely to explore such great countryside.
(Darren, my great grandfather Alfred Brown (hay cutter) was the Mallory's gardener at Hobcroft House, where the young George learnt to climb on the very steep house roofs - not a lot of people know that!)
Slim Pickings was Steve Barber's verdict on his and Gill's exploits today - at least you braved the elements Steve!
The strong north-westerly made our walk today more about fairly brisk exercise than the birds. However, we did perhaps relocate the Redwing missing the last couple of days - it was about 100 yards further along the usual tree-lined hedge. Fortunately for us it shared the same patch with our first Blackcap of spring. This fine male was silent and we wondered whether it was the same bird which visited local gardens in late Feb/early Mar. Otherwise of note was the Jackdaw picking up twigs in our back garden, carrying them over the house before disappearing into thick ivy on a nearby oak trunk...........Cheers.... Steve.
Good news from Dyfi where Telyn, the female bird, has returned in the last few minutes!
5 of the 6 female Welsh Ospreys are home but no males yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dc77uuwWjs&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0K14_BJYUP-Cj--xfarPZoKio8fwW5PlRfu6Ch6UuNc70Y7mgqZKuz7P0
http://www.10x50.com/latest.htm
Tony Usher.
