Anglezarke Reservoir 26/03/2011.
The last Saturday of March saw a group from Rochdale Field Naturalists’ Society take a car trip to this lovely part of Lancashire. The weather for the previous few days had been so warm and sunny that it had been hard to believe it was still March. However by the Saturday, clouds and a cool March breeze had reasserted themselves. This meant that the early butterflies kept their heads down and went unseen and many of the spring - flowering plants remained in bud rather than in full bloom. The Gorse bushes though were full of yellow and a few Wood Sorrel plants in sheltered places showed us their delicate white flowers. There was also Goose Grass and Garlic Mustard to be touched and smelled, and Dandelions were in flower below the hedges. We speculated about the origin of the Daffodils we saw but concluded they were all garden escapes rather than the smaller native wild flowers so beloved of the poet Wordsworth.
Our fungus experts were absent so we struggled to name a strange white foamy fungus seen on several large oaks though we did note the more common Birch Polypore and Hairy Curtain Crust on the end of a fallen tree. Most of the trees were still leafless, but the fresh green leaves of the Hawthorns were a delight. Several Holly trees still had a lot more bright berries than expected, given the long winter.
The birdwatchers were keen to spot incoming migrants or soon to depart winter visitors. There were no Swallows or Martins yet, but we did spot Curlew and Meadow Pipits now back at their moorland breeding sites. Also arrived to breed were the Oyster Catchers we saw beside the reservoir. The Goldeneye and Teal on the water would soon be leaving for their more northern breeding grounds and the unseen Fieldfares and Redwings may already have left. There was a pair of Great Crested Grebes together on the water but unfortunately they were not doing their spectacular courtship dances for us. There were tits examining high placed nest boxes and taking food from the feeders near the dam. Also by the feeders was a lovely Nuthatch and acrobatic Redpolls were buzzing round the tall trees near the car park. The laughing call of a Green Woodpecker was heard nearby while the more distant mewing cry of a circling Buzzard echoed across the valley.