Littleborough to Rakewood 22^nd August 2009

Nineteen members of the Rochdale Field Naturalists Society assembled on a sunny Saturday morning at Littleborough, in anticipation of a very pleasant local nature walk. Our route took us along the canal bank and into the lovely and almost secret- seeming Ealees valley and then to  Hollingworth Lake Country Park, past the visitor centre and onto the dam. Beyond the lake bank we walked to Rakewood, under the motorway viaduct and up in to the equally secret Longden End valley, continuing towards Doldrum before turning back to go under the motorway again on the other side of the Longden Brook, and arrive back at the edge of the Rochdalians’ playing field, before rejoining the lake bank road and return to Littleborough.  This is a lovely walk, and not just for the nature lover.

 August is not an easy month for the bird watcher, with most birds keeping out of sight in the foliage as they moult. Baby birds have fledged, though their parents may still be attending them, and they can be hard to identify when sighted, with their fluffy juvenile plumage. For the botanists many plants are passed their flowering peak, but there was still plenty to admire, particularly the huge banks of heather in full bloom in the Ealees valley, upon which, incongruously, a grey heron sat high up surveying the scene with its beady eye. August is a bit early for many fungi, but we did spot some ink caps and other larger fungi hard to identify without a good textbook to hand.

 A sunny August day, is great for dragonflies, damsel flies and butterflies and we were not disappointed.  The butterflies were especially delightful and numerous on the buddleias by the Hollingworth lake visitor centre.  Over the walk we saw 15 species, including   the striking peacocks and red admirals, the delicate small heath, tortoiseshell and gatekeeper. Three types of damsel fly and three of dragonfly were recorded while moths recorded included a large yellow underwing, antler and silver y.  However, the moth highlight and arguably the walk’s highlight, were caterpillars of the elephant hawk moth found in Longden end, on their usual food plant the ubiquitous rose bay willow herb.

 Whilst in Longden End we hoped to see much activity in the sand martin colony, but the birds had flown their nest holes, leaving just an odd one lingering and feeding above the stream. A kestrel kept its eye on us from a pylon as we rested for a drink but we missed seeing the redstart that had been reported by the Lake that day.

 All things considered this was a super day out, a fantastic reminder, if one was needed, of the great natural world just beyond all our doorsteps.

Sightings List

Emerald Damselfly	Wall Brown	Small Copper
Antler Moth	Knot grass caterpillar	Red-legged shieldbug

 Images by Sonia Allen and Peter Francis