The forecast said it would rain all day, but it was wrong. It was just humid and damp – what the Irish call a “fine, soft day”. It was quiet, too. There weren’t many dog walkers, and just a few runners and cyclists. The verges of the Wirral Way are recovering after their intense mechanical thrashing during the winter of 2024/25, with many of the trees now in spectacular bloom. There were Dogwoods, Horse Chestnut, Rowans, Laburnums and several magnificent Hawthorns.
We heard just the occasional Chiffchaff along the way, although in the past I have counted eight singing males along the route. We were a bit later this year, so maybe they have all paired up and aren’t singing so vociferously in early May. A Blue Tit was nesting under the eaves of the old railway building near Hooton Station, we saw Magpies, Wood Pigeons, Robins, Blackbirds, Long-tailed Tits, Goldfinch, a Dunnock on the path and we heard a Wren, a Nuthatch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming in the distance. There were huge stands of Garlic Mustard. Red Campion popped up occasionally, as did Wild Garlic, but the Cow Parsley was not as far on as I had hoped, and some of it was badly beaten down by last night’s heavy rain.
A great find was this caterpillar of the Scarlet Tiger Moth on some Nettles.
Through a gap in the hedge on the south side we saw a farmer doing some muck-spreading. Carrion Crows gathered, inspecting the offerings. Swallows swooped low over the field for insects. Through other gaps we saw a Canada Goose and a pair of Mallards.
In another field further along we saw this long-billed bird, at quite a distance. Curlew or Whimbrel? There have been many recent reports of Whimbrel from the Wirral, but is this one’s bill too long? We couldn’t see the top of its head to see if it had the diagnostic crown stripe, but it seemed to have an eye stripe, which does suggest Whimbrel.
There was a patch of what we initially called Cowslips, but they have flowers only on one side of the stem, whereas these point in all directions. They are probably False Oxlip, Primula veris x vulgaris, a hybrid of Primrose and Cowslip.
We were at Hadlow Road for lunch at 12.30, where we spotted a strange nest under the canopy of an old lamp. There seemed to be a House Sparrow flitting in and out, but it’s an odd place for a colonial Sparrow pair to nest, all on their own.
On the way back we noticed these insects in a couple of Buttercup blooms. I thought they were grubs at first, but now I see they have legs, so they are some kind of tiny beetle. Internet research suggests Pollen Beetles (which are mostly black and shiny), or Raspberry Beetles (which are paler brown than these.) Not sure I have come anywhere near to an ID.
Along the railway bridge over Hooton station was a long stand of Hedge Mustard.
Public transport details: The Chester train from Central at 10.15, arriving Hooton 10.42. Returned from Hooton at 2.17, arriving Liverpool Central at 2.50.
Next week we plan to go to Hoylake. Meet at Central Station at 10.00 prompt for the 10.05 train.
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.