Hollingworth Lake and Clegg Hall 29/01/2011.
A Winter Walk
The Rochdale Field Naturalists’ Society assembled at Canal Side in Littleborough for their recent walk around Hollingworth Lake and Clegg Hall.
A wintry sun was filtering through the clouds as the group noted Canada Geese and Mallard taking advantage of patches of open water on a mostly frozen canal, after another spell of freezing weather.
On walking through Ealees towards the Lake, observers searched the woodland for Blue tits and Great tits, which could be spotted among the branches. Diligent searching also revealed Coal tits, Long-tailed tits and Treecreepers.
Approaching the Visitor Centre, a Heron was spied lifting majestically from a stream, and flying away over the fields. A male Bullfinch, resplendent in pink and black livery, was flitting in the treetops beside the frozen pond.
By now the sun had gained mastery and fluffy white clouds were floating across a blue sky. Looking towards the East, there was a splendid panorama of sunlit Pennine Hills dominated by Blackstone Edge.
The bird feeders at the Visitor Centre were proving a magnet for small birds now finding food difficult to locate in these cold winter days. Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Chaffinches and Robins were much in evidence here.
Some interesting fungi which included Puffballs, Tripe Fungus, Black Bulgar and Turkeytail were found on rotting tree stumps. Walls and trees were examined for lichens. In the undergrowth, Dunnocks and Blackbirds were busy rootling in the leaf mould for tasty morsels.
The walk continued around Hollingworth Lake where Goosander, Black-headed gulls and Cormorant were swimming on sparkling water. Several Black-headed gulls were observed to be developing dark brown head plumage, a reminder that spring is approaching.
Mistle thrushes, Redwings and Fieldfares were noted in trees as the group continued across fields to Clegg Hall and completed their excursion along the towpath of the canal to return to the starting point.
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| Black-headed Gull | Goosander | Magpie |
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| Long-tailed tits | Bullfinch | Cormorant |
Photographs by Peter Francis
