Opposite St Chad’s church, on the south side of Kirkby Row, is an open grassy area through which flows the Kirby Brook, on its way to the river Alt. The usual urban birds were there, Carrion Crow, Blackbirds, Wood Pigeons, Magpies and some Herring Gulls. There was also an invisible Blackcap singing loudly from an isolated Birch tree. Could several pairs of binoculars find it? Of course not!
The grassy artificial hills had unmowed areas at top, with lots of wild flowers and grasses.
Our main goal today was to see if the Peregrine falcons were nesting on the north side of the church tower, as they usually do. Yes, they were and we had great views. Later I discovered the live webcam. Both parents were keeping watch, the mother on a gutter close to the nest and the father high on the church roof, later coming down to perch on the top of a pointy buttress. Mum started to call loudly, and we thought she might have been encouraging the chicks to emerge. I see now from the webcam views that they are still a bit too fluffy to fledge.
Then we took a narrow path behind the church leading into the park called Millbrook Millennium Green. It flanks more of the Kirkby Brook, which becomes the Simonswood Brook further upstream. On the edge of the woodland we saw a Rabbit. We have seen them here before: they skulk in the woodland and emerge shyly to crop just the edges of the grass.
The brambles on the steep banks of the brook had an amazing mass of flowers. Blackberry foraging later in the year could be hazardous! Other wildflowers seen included Scarlet Pimpernel, Meadow Cranesbill and clouds of the poisonous Hemlock Water Dropwort along the sides of the brook.
A stand of Mugwort was infested with aphids and a variety of Ladybirds had come for the feast. There were several Harlequins, of multiple colours, and one little native Two-spot.
On the approaches to Headbolt Road Station, there were masses more of wild flowers, including Ox-eye Daisy and Knapweed.
Public transport details: Bus 21 from Queen Square at 10.05, arriving Kirkby Row / Old Hall Lane at 10.45. Returned from Headbolt Road Station (apparently known locally as Headbutt Road – it is Kirkby after all!) at 1.41, due Liverpool at about 2 pm.
Next week we are going to Otterspool Park. Meet at 10 am Elliot Street or at Aigburth Vale at about 10.30 at the 82 bus stop near the bakery shop.)
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.