Piethorne 26/9/09.
PIETHORNE EXPLORED
The latest Field Excursion by the Rochdale Field Naturalists’ Society visited Piethorne Valley within the Rochdale borough. This very popular area holds many wildlife gems undisturbed by the visitors who are unaware of the comings and goings of animal and plant life around them.
The party of 25 set off at a leisurely pace so as not to miss any highlights. It was not long before they encountered swallows, soon to be bound for Africa, feeding over Ogden reservoir.
The society has members whose interests cover many aspects of natural history and as they moved on and looked towards the now much quieter woods the autumn fungi caught their eye with species such as the Tawny Grisette, Hairy Curtain Crust and Birch Polypore. From the woods came the chatter of our most colourful crow, the Jay, hurriedly collecting acorns to store in the ground for later when food is scarce. Kestrels were observed hunting in the fields in which were plants like Devilsbit Scabious and Red Clover, their keen eyesight focusing on the movement of insect and small mammal life in the undergrowth unaware they are about to become the bird’s next meal.
By lunch the sun was warm and a convenient stopping place was sought . Again the birdlife set about making lunch enjoyable with a suspected sighting of a Raven, later confirmed, high on the moor and Dippers on the bywashes. These little brown chubby birds with brilliant white under parts catch insects under stones below the water’s surface.
The sun also energised the late butterflies of the area and species such as Speckled Wood, Painted Lady and Red Admiral were recorded
Lunch over and enthused by the mornings successes the Group entered the woods alongside Kitcliffe reservoir where the trees blocked out the afternoon light and the habitat changed to dark and damp, perfect for fungi such as the Orange Grisette. Birdlife was scarcer in the wood but small parties of blue and great tits could be heard high in the canopy.
Emerging from the woods back into the light and high on the moor meadow pipits stayed one step ahead as the party moved to explore the bracken, soaking up the early afternoon sunlight.
Stonechats, small, stunning, elegant birds, the males with their black heads, white collars and reddish chests flitted through the bracken accompanied by females and this year’s offspring, as they picked off insects in flight. Binoculars and telescopes at the ready all the Group were anxious to look at what lurked amongst the discarded rocks in the quarry. A little owl, difficult to see without straining the eyes was spotted, well camouflaged like a stone. Nearing the end of the walk a Green Wood pecker with its distinctive flight and call was recorded.
How could you top a day like this? What more could happen? A fly past by the Red Arrows provided a grande finale.