What a change in the weather! It was dry and quite mild, and the sun even came out!
The birds were good today, too. Right by the slipway at the north end of the Marine Lake a dozen Pale-bellied Brent Geese had gathered. So lovely to see them up close instead of right over by Hilbre Island.
There were also reputed to be a Red-breasted Merganser, a female Goosander and a Scaup hanging about on the lake, but although we saw the Merganser fleetingly, just once, it then dived and completely disappeared. The Goosander was elusive and the Scaup didn’t put in an appearance at all. But as compensation we spotted a pair of Goldeneye out in the middle, sometimes joined by a juvenile.
We walked along the prom, then watched the yachts racing at the south end.
We stopped in Coronation Gardens for lunch. It’s a sheltered little spot with several flowers out in the wintry beds: Three-cornered Leek, tall Jonquils, Rosemary, Hellebore and one of the Sow-thistles. There was also a small patch of Daisies in the grass. On the Banks Road side was a small flock of Starlings and a row of Holly trees, from which House Sparrows were cheeping. Two of the Sparrows appeared to be investigating a hole in the eaves of a house nearby, and perching on the telephone wires.
Just inside Ashton Park was a Mahonia in a patch of sunshine, just starting to flower. The scent of its nectar had attracted several Bumblebees, almost certainly queen Buff-tailed, Bombus terrestris, as they are said to emerge from hibernation first, sometimes as early as mid-February.
Ashton Park Lake had the usual Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. There were also Herring Gulls at one end, mostly juveniles, and Black-headed Gulls at the other.
We turned on to the last bit of the Wirral Way, and spotted a Great Tit and a Robin. One plant of Green Alkanet was in flower, and Alexanders was shooting up all along. Some were just starting to flower.
One of the Alexanders had a couple of flies basking, which turned out to be the common and widespread Yellow Dung Fly Scathophaga stercoraria.
We had a quick look in Sandlea Park, and identified six of the seven mature Walnut trees. We also checked the little Almond tree, which was in bud, but there was no blossom yet. The tubs at the station were showing off some pretty Primroses, but not wild ones from an ancient woodland, sadly.
Public transport details: Train from Central at 10.05, arriving West Kirby at 10.36. Returned from West Kirby at 2.30, arriving Liverpool Central at 3.05.
Next week we plan to go to Allerton Cemetery and Springwood. Meet at Central Station at 10.00.
Anyone is welcome to come out with the Sunday Group. It is not strictly part of the MNA, although it has several overlapping members. We go out by public transport to local parks, woods and nature reserves all over Merseyside, and occasionally further afield. We are mostly pensioners, so the day is free on our bus passes, and we enjoy fresh air, a laugh and a joke, a slow amble in pleasant surroundings and sometimes we even look at the wildlife!
If you want to join a Sunday Group walk, pack lunch, a flask, waterproofs, binoculars if you have them, a waterproof pad to sit on if we have to have lunch on the grass or a wet bench (A garden kneeler? A newspaper in a plastic bag?), and wear stout shoes or walking boots. We are usually back in Liverpool City Centre by 3pm at the latest.
If you are interested in the wildlife of the north-west of England and would like to join the walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, see the main MNA website www.mnapage.info for details of our programme and how to join us.