Fungal sightings found here

13th May 2012 - Chorlton WP, Greater Manchester - A day doing a bit of jogging and I still managed to squeeze in a bit of wildlidfe spotting. 4 species of butterfly were on the wing, namely:- Small Tortoiseshell (*1); Green Veined White (*1); Peacock (*2) and Speckled Wood (*1).

A Bird Cherry tree was in full flower, a Mistle Thrush egg was found, Silverweed was in flower and at least 50 Long Horned Moths (Adela reaumurella) swarmed around an Oak tree.

12th May 2012 - Jenny Browns Point, Cumbria - A chat with a delightful elderly couple who were holidaying in the area and a look out over the estuary came up with a large flock of Curlew; a group of Eider (5 males, 1 Female), several Oystercatchers, 5 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin and 1 Black Tailed Godwit.

12th May 2012 - Foulshaw Moss, Cumbria - A mooch around resulted in a a distant Osprey being seen and a nearby Stonechat looking in fine condition. A Slow Worm, Common Toad, Roe Deer, Green Hairstreak; Green Tiger Beetle and another Large Red Damslefly made for an interesting mooch.

12th May 2012 - Witherslack, Cumbria - A visit to see Toothwort resulted in one healthy spike and one already finished. Numerous Strawberry Snails frequented nearby vegetation.

12th May 2012 - Meathop Moss, Cumbria - A swift visit and a poor showing. BushVetch and Crosswort were new flowers for the year and a brace of Tree Pipits were new annual additions.

Singletons of Green Harstreak; Large Red Damselfly; Pot Bellied Emerald Beetle and Common Lizard were observed. Bird Cherry Gall was abundant.

12th May 2012 - Gait Barrows, Cumbria - With hopes of once again building a good butterfly list, as on previous years, the sun shone, the breeze was gentle but...the list was poor. The species seen were Peacock (*6); Pearl Bordered Fritillary (*1); Green Veined White (*1); Orange Tip (*5); Small White (*1); Speckled Wood (*1) and Duke Of Burgundy Fritillary (*3 - 2 of which were releases). A single Brown Silver Lines Moth was spotted.

Other insects seen were the Bee Fly (Bombylius major); Large Red Damselfly (*2); Common Ground Hopper and Wood Ant.

New flowers for the year were Tormentil; Rue Leaved Saxifrage and False Oxslip. The Gall Eriophyes similis was identified and photographs captured.

12th May 2012 - Leighton Moss, Cumbria - To start off a long day and easy wander around this fine area was had in decent conditions and with a definite lazy stroll utmost priority. 3 hides visited and 37 birds on the list with the highlights being Sedge Warbler; Blackcap; Bullfinch; Garganey (M); Buzzard and Marsh Tit.

A teneral Broad Bodied Chaser was an added bonus. Pendulous Sedge was also noted.

6th May 2012 - Burton Mere RSPB, Cheshire - A new site for us to visit and we enjoyed it thoroughly although it does seem this new reserve will just get busier and busier as word spreads. The bird list today's was 50 species which held some rather interesting stuff that was showing really well; The birds noted were:- Collared Dove; Coot; Great Tit; Whinchat (*3); Shoveler; Canada Goose; White Wagtail (*2); Black Tailed Godwit; Tufted Duck; Avocet; Shelduck; Carrion Crow; Wheatear; Lapwing; Jackdaw; Swallow; Grasshopper Warbler; Robin; Common Whitethroat; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Yellow Wagtail (*2); Barnacle Goose; Gadwall; Oystercatcher; Buzzard; Swift; Greylag Goose; Sand Martin; Bar Tailed Godwit; Blackbird; Sedge Warbler; Mallard; Teal; Black Headed Gull; Rook; Wigeon; Grey Heron; Moorhen; Little Egret; Wood Pigeon; Mute Swan; Wren; Pied Wagtail; Blue Tit; Chaffinch; House Martin; Little Ringed Plover; Little Grebe; Goldfinch and the escapee Ringed Teal.

6th May 2012 - Parkgate, Dee Estuary, Cheshire - Rumour was had that a few special birds were available and with a bit of indecision in the air as to were to go (we aren't regular twitchers) we just thought 'sod it' and made our way to this popular area. Car parked up and within 20 minutes all three key species were hit but rather than bugger off and seek out more specialities we did our usual thing and enjoy and explore the area - it was a great day. The bird list of 37 was as follows:- Moorhen; House Martin; Mute Swan; Little Egret; Black Headed Gull; Starling; Wood Pigeon; Temminck's Stint; Oystercatcher; Swallow; Great White Egret; Wheatear (*12); Pied Wagtail; Shelduck; Canada Goose; Spoonbill; Linnet; Goldfinch; Chaffinch; House Sparrow; Whinchat (*2); Redshank; Meadow Pipit; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Reed Bunting; Robin; Pheasant; Greylag Goose; Skylark; Magpie; Common Whitethroat; Kestrel; Jackdaw; Great Tit; Chiffchaff; Blue Tit and Blackbird.

Butterflies on the wing were:- Green Veined White (*3); Peacock (*4); Small Tortoiseshell (*2); Speckled Wood (*2) and Orange Tip (*3).

Celery Leaved and Bulbous Buttercups were in flower and a pair of Nettle Weevils (Phyllobius pomaceus) were noted.

5th May 2012 - Ainsdale NE, Lancashire - Part two of the Pat Lockwood Tour and flower seen were:- Star of Bethlehem; Annual Wall Rocket; Danish Scurvygrass; Common Cornsalad; Shepherd's Cress; Ground Ivy; Thyme Leaved Sandwort; Early Forget Me Not; Spring Pea; Germander Speedwell; Lily Of The Valley; Wild Strawberry; Common Dog Violet; and Bugloss.

Also noted were Sand Sedge; Broad Buckler Fern; Purple Willow; Common Earwig; Striped Millipede and a Wall Brown Butterfly.

Sincere thanks to all who made the day especially the aforementioned grand lady and here's to a few more trips in search of the botanical wonders.

2 Galls noted were the sexual generation of Neurotus quercusbaccarum on Quercus and Aceria pseudoplatani on Acer.

5th May 2012 - Fisherman's Path, Freshfield Heath, Formby, Lancashire - A few of us were gathered together by that lovely lady and top, top botanist Pat Lockwood to have a wander and see what we could come up with. Along the way we met a gent called Ken, from Northumberland, who duly tagged along and this is what we came up with.

A Lesser Whitethroat was picked out and gave decent views but besides that the bird life was fairly quiet.

On the insect front and we didn't fair much better with Hawthorn Shieldbug, St Marks Fly, Common Groundhopper; 7 Spot Ladybird and Yellow Meadow Ant the only ones noted but to be fair we weren't really looking that hard. A Drinker Moth larvae was nice to catch up with.

Attention today was mainly on wild flowers (what else with Mrs Lockwood at the helm) and here is what we saw in bloom:- Common Whitlow Grass; Shepherds Purse; Groundsel; Daisy; Doves-Foot Cranes-Bill; Parsley Piert; Ribwort Plantain; Wall Speedwell; Common Mouse Ear; Sheep's Sorrel; Birds Foot Trefoil; Hairy Bittercress; Ivy Leaved Speedwell; Cuckooflower; Creeping Buttercup; Bulbous Buttercup; Birds-Foot; Meadow Buttercup; Thyme Leaved Speedwell; Common Vetch; Lesser Trefoil; Common Storks-Bill; Red Dead Nettle; Common Water Crow-Foot; White Dead Nettle; Fringe Cups; Thale Cress and Bluebell.

Sweet Vernal Grass; Spring Sedge and Congested Woodrush were nice extras.

2nd May 2012 - River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - Walking home and 3 species of butterfly were seen:- Comma (*1); Holly Blue (*1) and Peacock (*1).

30th April 2012 - Abney Hall/River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - A circular walk was taken whilst the sun shone bright. Sightings that were noted were the butterflies Orange Tip (*10); Speckled Wood (*2) and Peacock (*1). 9 Green Shieldbugs frequented a Bramble patch with several copulating pairs seen. The hoverfly Rhingia campestris was seen frequenting White Dead Nettle and showing the distinctive beak-like rostrum and black lines down the sides of the orange abdomen.

Greater Celandine was in flower.

27th April 2011 - Cheadle Heath, Stockport - Thyme Leaved Speedwell seen in flower.

22nd April 2011 - Churchtown Farm, Cornwall - Another visit to this nice reserve was taken in sunny yet windy conditions. A pair of Raven wheeled away in the wind, a Kestrel hovered on the look-out for food; A Little Egret rested at the waterside and 2 House Martins were seen and were duly the first of the year for us.

A Green Veined White and a Small White braved the air currents and 3 Nerved Sandwort and Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) were in flower.

21st April 2012 - China Fleet Golf Club, Cornwall - Whilst awaiting our young daughter complete her karate training we had a wander and came up with Black Medick; Cut Leaved Cranes-Bill; Primrose; Navelwort and Shining Cranes-Bill all in flower.

3 clumps of Mistletoe were also seen and a kiss was had - nice!

21st April 2012 - Seaton Valley CP, Cornwall - Another 2 hour wander in decent weather with a fleeing Roe Deer, a Bloody Nosed Beetle, flowering Wood Sorrel and a Peacock butterfly the best sightings.

21st April 2012 - Lopwell Dam, Plymouth, Devon - A sweet area with sunshine and showers the order of the day. A tour our wander produced little but A soaring Buzzard being mobs by Corvids; a fleeing Little Egret with is trailing gold feet, a good crop of Wood Spurge; flowering Bugle and English Scurvygrass as well as a flying Red Twin Spot Carpet moth were all enjoyed.

20th April 2012 - Slapton Ley, Devon - A birding wander, the result 24 birds, which were:- Jackdaw; Gadwall; Herring Gull; Mallard; Coot; Sandwich Tern; Tufted Duck; Great Crested Grebe; Cormorant; Mute Swan; Common Whitethroat; Stonechat; Grey Heron; Pheasant; Carrion Crow; Canada Goose; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Dunnock; Goldfinch; Pied Wagtail; Swallow; Wood Pigeon; Great Black Backed Gull and Starling.

Plants in flower were Dove's Foot Cranes-Bill; Sea Campion; 3 Cornered Leek; Common Vetch and Bird's Foot Trefoil

20th April 2012 - Prawle Point, Devon - A mooch around this prime area once again paid dividends. On the bird front the list was small and made up of:- Goldfinch; Great Tit; Dunnock; Chiffchaff; Carrion Crow; Wood Pigeon; Chaffinch; Cirl Bunting (*12); Robin; Blackbird; House Sparrow; Stonechat; Rock Pipit; Curlew; Gannet and Herring Gull.

Insect wise was poor with Common Earwig; Hairy Shieldbug; Gorse Seed Weevil and the butterflies Orange Tip (*3) and Holly Blue (*3).

A bit of mooching in the rock pools was rewarding with Shore Crab, Broad Clawed Porcelain Crab; Edible Crab; Beadlet Anemone; Common Mussel; Purple Top Shell; Sea Squirt sp; Star Ascidian; Thick Top Shell; Fragile Brittlestar; Common Starfish; Cushion Starfish and Halichondria panicea all noted.

Other stuff listed were the abundant lichens Lecanora atra; Ramalina siliquosa and Ochrolechia parella as well as the flowers in bloom Alexanders; Thrift; Wild Carrot; Hogweed; Red Dead Nettle and Dove's Foot Cranes-Bill.

15th April 2012 - Tideswell/Cressbrook, Derbyshire - A good 5 mile plus walk in fine conditions albeit a little too chilled for the butterflies it seems. Full sun was appreciated and today we concentrated on finding a few flowers in bloom. Dog's Mercury; Barren Strawberry; Common Dog Violet; White Dead Nettle; Red Dead Nettle; Moschatel; Shining Cranes-Bill; Slender Speedwell; Ivy Leaved Toadflax; Goosegrass; Water Avens; Opposite Leaved Golden Saxifrage; Marsh Marigold; Garlic Mustard; Red Campion; Bluebell; Wood Anemone; Butterbur; Colts-Foot; Cowslip; Primrose; Lesser Celandine and Lords and Ladies.

Rainbow Trout frequented the river and a Wood Mouse was also seen.

The first Willow Warbler of the year was spotted, a male Blackcap gave close up views and a pristine Grey Wagtail hung around on rooftops.

11th April 2012 - Ainsdale Sands, Lancashire - St Marks Flies were on the wing and in good numbers.

11th April 2012 - Crosby Marina, Lancashire - A mooch with the kids from work was had in full sun although the breeze that blew had a slight edge to it. A mixed flock of Sanderling and Redshank was on the tidal line and a good flock of Black Tailed Godwit frequented nearby grassy areas.

8th April 2012 - Marshside RSPB, Lancashire - Not a bad wander in the whistling wind - 62 birds with the list being:- Skylark; Greylag Goose; Oystercatcher; Mute Swan; Starling; Canada Goose; Black Headed Gull; Shelduck; Mallard; Curlew; Black Tailed Godwit; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Pink Footed Goose; Lapwing; Coot; Wood Pigeon; Feral Pigeon; Shoveler; Redshank; Tufted Duck; Magpie; Dunnock; Gadwall; Moorhen; Carrion Crow; Avocet; Little Egret; Little Grebe; Pintail; Ruff; Teal; Golden Plover; Great Black Backed Gull; Common Gull; Wigeon; Meadow Pipit; Wheatear; Cormorant; Ringed Plover; Grey Plover; Knot; Bar Tailed Godwit; Jackdaw; Short Eared Owl (*4); Grey Heron; Reed Bunting; Herring Gull; Collared Dove; House Sparrow; Blackbird; Mistle Thrush; Greenfinch; Blue Tit; Robin; Great Tit; Wren; Chaffinch; Chiffchaff; Barnacle Goose; Sparrowhawk; Pheasant and Pied Wagtail.

7 flowers noted in bloom were:- Oxford Ragwort; Red Dead Nettle; White Dead Nettle; Alexanders; Doves Foot Cranes-Bill and Green Alkanet.

6th April 2012 - Hogshead Woods, Cheshire - Numerous Heather Beetles (Lochmaea suturalis) were seen as well as several Weevils on Pine (Strophosoma melanogrammum). Other than that not much was about and with two of us crook with colds and sore throats we didn't hang around for too long.

5th April 2012 - River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - The first 2 Orange Tips of the year were duly appreciated - great toxic butterflies these!

1st April 2011 - Fletcher Moss, Cheshire - A brief wander checking on a few special fungi with 2 Ring Necked Parakeets on the wing and Marsh Marigold in magnificent flower.

31st March 2012 - Frodsham Marsh, Cheshire - After a pop in to The Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society (LCES) Annual Exhibition we called in at a local chippy and indulged in lunch and a bit of birding at this much neglected site. 40 birds was the total with Buzzard; Avocet (*6); Golden Plover and Curlew the best. Very quiet indeed and hopefully our next visit in May will produce better results.

Cow Parsley was noted in flower.

29th March 2012 - Pennington Flash, Lancashire - A wander with my brother produced a list of only 43 birds the best of which were Buzzard; Nuthatch; Chiffchaff; Blackcap and Kingfisher. On the butterfly front 5 species were seen, these being:- Small Tortoiseshell (*6); Peacock (*2); Speckled Wood (*2); Comma (*1) and Small White (*1). The highlight of the day on the lepidoptera front was surely a single Orange Underwing - an all time new for both of us in fact.

Gorse Seed Weevils were plentiful, 4 Gorse Shieldbugs were seen and Marsh Marigold; Sweet Violet and Yellow Flag Iris were all noted in flower.

28th March 2012 - River Mersey/Abney Hall, Stockport, Cheshire - 5 Goosander were on the river comprising of 2 males and 3 females. A Dipper flew past and Grey Wagtails hopped on seemingly cool waterside rocks. The butterflies Peacock (*1); Small Tortoiseshell (*5) and Comma (*2) were on the wing. Feverfew; Wood Stitchwort and Slender Speedwell were in flower on yet another hot and sunny day.

The gall Aceria fraxinivora was seen hanging from the branches of an Ash tree that is ready to bloom. I shall be looking for fresher specimens later in the year.

27th March 2012 - Cheadle Heath, Stockport, Cheshire - First Common Plume Moth of the year once again frequenting the bathroom.

27th March 2012 - River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - 5 Peacock Butterflies on the wing.

26th March 2012 - Cheadle Heath, Stockport, Cheshire - A Common Wasp was seen indoors, another Harlequin (f. spectabilis) was in the garden and Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva) was rescued from a spiders nest. 20 Plume Moth in the bathroom too!

26th March 2012 - Heaton Moor, Stockport, Cheshire - The first Alder Leaf Beetle of the year was seen.

25th March 2012 - River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - A lovely stroll down river with Small Tortoiseshell (*1); Peacock (*5) and Comma (*2) all on the wing. Grey Wagtails were at the waters edge and Ramsons, Rape and Ribwort Plantain were in flower. A pond held numerous breeding and calling Toads and time was spent to enjoying these grumpy looking amphibians - great creatures.

24th March 2012 - Chadkirk Chapel, Stockport, Cheshire - After seeing a Comma butterfly at a local garden centre it was good to see a few more species on the wing today. Brimstone (*1); Small Tortoiseshell (*2) and the reliable Peacock (*2) seemed happy to fly in the stunning conditions. 2 pairs of Mandarin Duck hung around near the local ponds, A Peregrine Falcon called overhead and did a couple of fly overs, 2 Buzzards floated on the thermals and Bluebell, Wood Anemone, Butterbur, Herb Bennet and Lesser Celandine were all noted in flower. A Common Wasp frequented Ivy and 4 Harlequin Ladybirds (f. succinea) absorbed the golden rays.

23rd March 2012 - River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - The first butterfly sighting of the year - a Peacock - yes indeedy!

22nd March 2012 - Cheadle Heath, Stockport, Cheshire - First Marmalade Fly (Episyrphus balteatus) of the year hanging around the Bay Tree...and...the first moth of the year - Double Striped Pug!

21st March 2012 - River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - The first Chiffchaff of the year was heard and seen, always a special moment.

11th March 2012 - Runcorn Hill NR, Cheshire - A shortish walk today with gas burners on low. The first Gorse Shieldbug of the year was seen, 3 Buff Tailed Bumble Bees, a Smooth Newt, 2 * 7 Spot Ladybirds and Broom was in flower.

10th March 2012 - Marbury CP, Cheshire - A fine walk today in weather that can only be described as 'just right' for this time of year. A list of 49 birds had a few highlight's with Tawny Owl; Curlew; Goldcrest; White Wagtail; Sparrowhawk (*2); Treecreeper and a flock of 24 Pied Wagtails the pick.

In flower today were Lesser Celandine; Red Dead Nettle; Ivy Leaved Speedwell; Hairy Bittercress; Wood Anemone; Dog's Mercury and Blackthorn.

A trio and a pair of Toads were seen in a sexual grouping, 3*7 Spot Ladybirds hung around Gorse bushes and many Leopard Slugs were noted.

Toadish love - warts n' all

Note - no Toads were harmed in the taking of this shot - randy buggers they be!

6th March 2012 - Heaton Moor, Stockport, Cheshire - The first Harlequin Ladybird was on the prowl between the panes of a sunlit window.

5th March 2012 - Heaton Moor/River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - A Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena sp.) was noted on Dandelion and Field Woodrush was seen in flower.

2rd March 2012 - Marshside RSPB, Lancashire - A short visit due to my young lass feeling a bit queasy - the result - a few Avocets, several Little Egrets, many Golden Plover, tons of Black Tailed Godwit, and a superabundance of wildfowl species. Colts-Foot was seen in flower and 3 Brown Hares knocked about in the distance.

2nd March 2012 - Mere Sands Wood, Lancashire - A wander that started with frayed moods and crappy rain ended in nice sunshine and good inner vibes. Great views of a creeping Bittern were enjoyed by all, the flock of Tree Sparrows was delightful as the sun kissed their chocolate brown heads, a Water Rail walked out in front of us and strutted around in the golden rays and a lone Greylag Goose flew by. The nearby fields held 4 Corn Bunting as well as a brace of Red Legged Partridge and a massive flock of Pink Footed Geese. 48 species was the final total although it did seem like more.

2nd March 2012 - Heaton Moor/River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - A great stroll home in the sun and Hazel catkins were plentiful and a single female flower was a joy. Long Tailed Tits were paired up, the first 7 Spot Ladybirds were noted on Gorse and Wavy Bittercress was in flower.

26th February 2011 - Fletcher Moss, Cheshire - We should have gone further afield but the distractions of life said not. A nice walk in increasing sunshine paid dividends with a pair of Goosander flying along the river, some close up views of a Treecreeper, a drumming Greater Spotted Woodpecker, a flock of 5 obliging Ring Necked Parakeets, a single feeding Siskin, a large flock of Redwing that held one Fieldfare and...a Waxwing, all contributing to a decent mooch.

A Large Yellow Slug was seen beneath logs and Blackthorn was noted in flower for the first time this year.

19th February 2012 - Carrington Moss, Cheshire - Yet more silence on the bird front with Goldcrest; Stock Dove; Buzzard and Song Thrush the pick.

19th February 2012 - Risley Moss, Cheshire - A sunny morn and a quiet stroll - pity a family allowed their dog to crap everywhere and then just carry on regardless - trash! Bird wise it was a quiet do with Great Spotted Woodpecker; Willow Tit; Sparrowhawk; Bullfinch; Reed Bunting and Coal Tit the pick of a small bunch.

17th February 2012 - Cheadle Heath, Stockport, Cheshire - Common Field Speedwell in flower - I think we are slowly getting through this winter and out of the other side - not been a bad un' at all!

15th February 2012 - Abney Hall, Cheshire - A nice walk with my chatty daughter. Winter Aconite in flower as well as a single Lesser Celandine. A brace of Leopard Slugs were noted and many birds were singing in celebration of a partially sunny day.

11th February 2012 - Tatton Park, Cheshire -Really too cold to dawdle today and with most of the water frozen over the bird list wasn't what it should have been. The highs were a single Smew (Red Head), a small flock of Gadwall, a brace of perished looking Little Grebe, a mooching Treecreeper and a large flock of Chaffinch holding several prime Bramblings.

It was good to catch up with a couple of birding friends too one of whom we hadn't seen for quite a few years.

10th February 2012 - Heaton Moor/River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire -The moss Bryum capillare was noted in profusion on a wall, Mahonia japonica was in flower, Hazel catkins seemed ready to release pollen and 4 Goosanders were on the river.

29th January 2012 - Pennington Flash, Lancashire - A good walk around this increasingly popular reserve resulted in a list of 51 bird species, which were:- Dunnock; Black Headed Gull; Tufted Duck; Mallard; Lapwing; Moorhen; Teal; Coot; Canada Goose; Mute Swan; Cormorant; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Common Gull; Goosander; Wood Pigeon; Common Snipe; Goldeneye; Herring Gull; Magpie; Chaffinch; Willow Tit; Robin; Great Tit; Reed Bunting; Lesser Redpoll; Bullfinch; Greenfinch; Blue Tit; Blackbird; Stock Dove; Gadwall; Song Thrush; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Long Tailed Tit; Jay; Kestrel; Grey Heron; Shoveler; Great Crested Grebe; Little Grebe; Starling; Mistle Thrush; Pochard; Carrion Crow; Skylark; Meadow Pipit; House Sparrow; Goldfinch; Collared Dove; Buzzard and Pied Wagtail.

Groundsel; Hogweed and Shepherds Purse were seen in flower.

28th January 2012 - Chorlton WP, Greater Manchester - An early morning walk with a brisk step taken so as to keep out the cold and get the blood supply moving. 37 species of bird, which were:- Carrion Crow; Wood Pigeon; Feral Pigeon; Robin; Reed Bunting; Magpie; Great Tit; Dunnock; Bullfinch; Fieldfare; Mistle Thrush; Blue Tit; Starling; Chaffinch; Greenfinch; Blackbird; House Sparrow; Coot; Collared Dove; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Canada Goose; Tufted Duck; Black Headed Gull; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Pochard; Mute Swan; Goosander; Song Thrush; Mallard; Jay; Redwing; Common Gull; Great Crested Grebe; Long Tailed Tit; Cormorant; Kestrel and Moorhen.

25th January 2012 - River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - Wood Avens otherwise known as Herb Bennet in flower today - way too early. I suspected it was in flower over a week ago but only one petal was noted and I considered it to be a left over from last year. Today a full bloom was present - so how early did the last flower appear?

22nd January 2012 - Etherow CP, Cheshire - Having been busy the last couple of weeks with punk gigs, hospital visits and decorating it was good to get back out and have a tootle around what is our local patch. Bird wise it was hard going with the highs of the 25 species bird list being some close up views of feeding Nuthatch, a great shot of a climbing Treecreeper and a plentiful supply of Mandarin Duck (*50).

Lesser Celandine was seen in flower and Dusky Slug; Garden Snail; Garlic Snail; the centipede Lithobius variegatus; Maidenhair Spleenwort and Wall Rue were all added to the day's viewings.

21st January 2012 - Cheadle Heath, Stockport, Cheshire - Burying a bit of kitchen waste in the garden and a Common Frog was seen beneath a couple of logs I leave lying about so for the woodlice. The frog was rather swollen which seemed to indicate there are a good amount of worms and slugs around.

7th January 2012 - Denby Dale, West Yorkshire - Red Valerian was seen in flower - early or what?

7th January 2012 - Pugneys CP, Wakefield, West Yorkshire - A real wind blown affair this and how we did the circumference of the lake is beyond me - phew - fresh or what. Bird species seen was 22, which were:- Carrion Crow; Mute Swan; Black Headed Gull; Mallard; Feral Pigeon; Canada Goose; Goosander; Coot; Great Northern Diver (*2); Great Crested Grebe; Pied Wagtail; Tufted Duck; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Goldeneye; Goldfinch; Red Crested Pochard (M); Blue Tit; Shoveler; Wood Pigeon; Redwing; Pochard and Cormorant.

7th January 2012 - Anglers CP, Wakefield, West Yorkshire - A wander in breezy conditions at this country park that we hadn't visited for quite a few years now. Primarily a bird watching outing with the 47 species seen being:- Fieldfare; Blackbird; Collared Dove; Wood Pigeon; Magpie; Carrion Crow; Chaffinch; Goldfinch; Blue Tit; Great Tit; Tree Sparrow; Greenfinch; Redwing; Mistle Thrush; Moorhen; Mallard; Canada Goose; Song Thrush; Pochard; Coot; Greylag Goose; Mute Swan; Gadwall; Wigeon; Goosander; Tufted Duck; Kestrel; Goldeneye; American Wigeon; Teal; Ruddy Duck; Black Headed Gull; Little Grebe; Great Crested Grebe; Cormorant; Jackdaw; Herring Gull; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Greenland White Fronted Goose; Goldcrest; Lapwing; Starling; Rook; Grey Heron; Dunnock; Reed Bunting; and House Sparrow.

3rd January 2012 - Heaton Moor/River Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire - The mosses Grimmia pulvinata and Tortula muralis were seen in fruit and a single flower on a winding stalk of Ivy Leaved Toadflax was observed. 1 male Goosander frequented the river.

2nd January 2012 - Moore NR, Cheshire - We should have had a good bird list today but got sidetracked with fungi (again) - here's the 31 species that we did see:- Magpie; Carrion Crow; Coot; Teal; Wigeon; Gadwall; Tufted Duck; Mallard; Great Tit; Jackdaw; Tawny Owl; Black Headed Gull; Great Black Backed Gull; Herring Gull; Mute Swan; Canada Goose; Shoveler; Moorhen; Cormorant; Pochard; Blackbird; Redwing; Bullfinch; Mistle Thrush; Wood Pigeon; Nuthatch; Coal Tit; Blue Tit; Chaffinch; Reed Bunting and Buzzard.

A group of Grey Squirrels were noted as being argumentative as ever, Striped, Shiny and Pygmy Woodlice were seen whilst rolling logs for micro fungi and Red Campion was seen in flower.

1st January 2012 - Fairhaven Lake, Lancashire - A way to round off a decent day is a swift wander around this lake to stretch out the legs. 24 birds seen, which were:- Pintail; Great Black Backed Gull; Dunlin; Shelduck; Curlew; Little Egret; Cormorant; Redshank; Magpie; Shoveler; Tufted Duck; Pochard; Scaup (1*F); Wood Pigeon; Moorhen; Feral Pigeon; Black Headed Gull; Common Gull; Oystercatcher; Mute Swan; Coot; Mallard; Jackdaw; Carrion Crow and Canada Goose.

1st January 2012 - Lytham Moss, Lancashire - A few pointers from a kind dude at Marton Mere helped us to arrive easily at this destination and get good views of 4 Tundra Bean Geese, 1 Pink Footed Goose and 2 Mute Swans.

1st January 2012 - Marton Mere, Lancashire - Up early and out in the elements to this regular reserve that throws up the odd delight or two. A list of 41 bird species were had, these being:- Robin; Blue Tit; Pink Footed Goose; Blackbird; Starling; Chaffinch; Pheasant; Magpie; Redwing; Mute Swan; Grey Heron; Carrion Crow; Kestrel; Lapwing; Coot; Goldeneye; Gadwall; Teal; Mallard; Shoveler; Pochard; Linnet; Bullfinch; Moorhen; Collared Dove; Black Headed Gull; Common Gull; Jackdaw; Canada Goose; Herring Gull; Cormorant; Iceland Gull; Tufted Duck; Great Tit; Dunnock; Reed Bunting; Wood Pigeon; Wren; Long Tailed Tit and Coal Tit.

Common Gorse was in flower as were a few Daisies and a Rabbit was noted fleeing into the undergrowth.