Aintree, 27th June 2010

From Queen Square at 10.10, the number 20 bus to just past Fazakerly Station. A very hot and sunny day. Adlam Road, Signal Works Road, over the railway and into the wildlife area in the former railway marshalling yards. Lots of bramble in bloom. At the edge of the dried-up pond there were several examples of very tall Wild Teasel, which will be attactive to butterflies when it is in bloom. Not many butterflies today, just a few Meadow Browns and Speckled Woods and one Large White. Took the path around the edge of the racecourse, and we passed Becher’s Brook, which looked very odd “naked”, just a bank and a gully. Around the Canal Turn there were orchids in the long grass – probably Southern Marsh. During lunch opposite Valentine’s, Radio City’s live coverage of the “Race for Life” was blaring over from the grandstand.  As we came out onto the Melling Road twenty or more Rooks flew up. We doubled back along the canal and under the railway bridge to Sherwoods Lane.  We were back on Longmoor Lane by 2.15 and split up to trains or buses home.