Sixteen members of the Rochdale Field Naturalists Society met at the car park of Elton reservoir near Bury for their April outing. The day was very breezy but bright and sunny. On the water at the start of the walk a pair of Great Crested Grebe was displaying whilst overhead Sand Martins performed aerial acrobatics in the gusty conditions. In the nearby woods Chiff Chaff and Willow Warblers could be heard and in an area of open grassland a pair of Small Copper butterflies was basking in the sun. The scent of May blossom was all around.
Following the path around the reservoir members were rewarded with exceptional views of a nesting Great Crested Grebe, and Willow Warbler overhead, and in the path side vegetation, Speckled Wood, Large White, Green-veined White and Orange Tip butterflies, as well as a glimpse of an early Large Red Damselfly. Lady’s Smock, Field Buttercups and Red Clover provided a wide variety of spring colour. Reaching the end of the reservoir path Common Tern could be viewed over the water, a flotilla of 12 Mallard ducklings being shepherded by their mother, whilst above a nearby meadow Swifts fed on the wing.
Along a sheltered lane leading to the path to the canal, Sparrows and Starlings darted in and above the hawthorn hedge whilst at its base was Garlic Mustard in flower. The lunch break along the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal was opposite a reed bed, which gave brief glimpses of Reed Warblers but a much better sighting of a male Reed Bunting. The canal was obviously unnavigable due to the dense growth of Water Soldier but the vegetation provided good cover for a young family of Coot and nests of Swans on the far bank, as well as Moorhen feeding. By the side of the canal a local man was using a reinforced net to capture Ramshorn water snails, which, he informed members of the group, he used to keep his garden pond free of algae.
Climbing up from the canal and making their way back to the reservoir members saw a fine view of the River Irwell with patches of giant hogweed leaves on the opposite bank and a seed head from last year clearly visible on the nearside bank.
At the end of the walk the botanists in the group enjoyed a wide variety of flora on the reservoir bank. Patches of Bistort were in flower as well as Bluebell and yellow Tormentil and this made the pathway back to the car park a very colourful end to the day.
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| Mallard with ducklings | Orange tip | Small Copper |
All Photographs by Peter Francis and Steve Pinnington
