We walked from Longmoor Lane, south down Higher Lane, over the railway bridge, past cul-de-sacs of smart new houses and into the Bluebell Woods, tucked away between Aintree University Hospital and Altcourse Prison. It is where two little waterways run close together, the Tue Brook and the Fazakerley Brook.
It seems to be far more open than when we were last here. Did it lose trees to storms, or is it just being cleared for new paths and forest schools? There were also fewer Bluebells than we remembered. Most patches near the northern edge seem to be the non-native Spanish Bluebell, or thoroughly hybridised from gardens. They have tall upright stems, flowers growing all around, and the petals are not very curled back.
I only found one patch with what looked like a native English bluebell (although there may be more deeper in the woods). This one had a stem nodding to one side, flowers only on that side, and very curled-back petals.
The woods were very quiet, apart from the penetrating birdsong. We recognised Blackbird, Robin, Greenfinch, Wood Pigeon, Chiffchaff and Crow. I turned on the Merlin birdsong identifying app. Two of the other loud ones were Nuthatch and Wren (the latter is one we hardly ever see) and it also picked up Blackcap from all over the woods. Whenever I use the Merlin app it always seems to find Blackcaps, but we never see one. We did spot a Song Thrush and a Great Tit and also what may have been a Blue Tit using one of these tree holes.
That patch of land is possibly too wet and uneven to build on, which is why it is preserved as a wood, although it doesn’t seem to be an ancient woodland. We kept seeing Victorian ornamental trees and shrubs like Monkey Puzzle, Rhododendron, a Red Horse-Chestnut tree. Has it ever been a landscaped park? The flowers seem wild enough – Cow Parsley, Hogweed, Wild Garlic. All white ones except Red Campion.
After lunch we went through the hospital, crossed Lower Lane and went into Fazakerley Hall Recreation Ground, which is just a long path leading through to Bridgehouse Lane, and with a large meadow in the middle. Here there were more white flowers like Dogwood, Rowan and Hawthorn. There were carpets of buttercups in the meadow.
It’s quite a good spot for butterflies, although we only saw Speckled Woods and some Whites. Here’s a Small White, basking.
Some of the white butterflies might have been Orange-Tips, because there are large patches of its food plant, Cuckoo Flower also known as Lady’s Smock.
Public transport details: Bus 21 from Queen Square at 10.05. arriving Longmoor Lane / Seeds Lane at 10.32. We all went home different ways from outside the hospital.
Next week we plan to go to Strawberry Fields and Calderstones Park. Meet Elliot Street 10 am.