Thrybergh Country Park

Today, after feeling that Sybil and myself have not been getting enough exercise lately, I decided to take us on a walk up to Thrybergh Country Park. It took us about an hour to get to the park, walking mostly on tarmac and boy, are my feet suffering now! It was all worth it when we got there though; the weather was gorgeous and there were quite a few people out birdwatching and walking their own dogs.

Sybil at the reservoir

Half of the footpath round the reservoir is usually closed during the winter; however this year there are signs up saying that a new path is in use. This is to minimise disturbance to overwintering birds such as wigeon, I believe.

Gorgeous weather

As we finished our circuit of the reservoir I noticed a buzzard soaring high up in the blue sky. The usual birds were on or around the lake itself: Canada goose, mute swan, coot, moorhen, tufted duck, great crested grebe, greylag goose, cormorant and lapwing, amongst many others. All in all, a fantastic couple of hours out, however I did decide to get the bus back to the bottom of our hill :o). Total approximate mileage covered: 5.1

Old Moor

Last week I set off to visit a rather frosty Old Moor. Just a quick flit round the hides this time, as I had other plans for the rest of the day.

It was my first visit to the new Garden Bird hide, and happily the garden was full of activity. Garden birds are my favourite; I still get a jolt of excitement when I see a blue tit. As my I.D. skills are still not the best, it's the easier birds to identify that keep me coming back for more :o).

Bullfinch and Greenfinch

Chaffinch

The Tree Sparrow Farm was also alive with little birds. Among the birds I can remember were reed bunting, robin, great tit, blue tit, tree sparrow, chaffinch, pheasant and woodpigeon.

Robin at the Tree Sparrow Farm

A visit to the Field Pool East hide gave a brief glimpse of the kingfisher, who unfortunately didn't hang around for a photo. Other birds around the reserve included plenty of cormorant, a grey heron and the usual visitors.

A frosty morning

Passing the Garden Bird hide on the way back to the visitor centre, I spotted this fellow. He was quite happy to phose for a photo or two.

Pheasant

An enjoyable visit, and I will be back soon.

The Loxley Valley

Yesterday I decided to go for a walk in Loxley. I've heard that the area is good for wildlife, so packed my binoculars and camera and set off from my house at 9am. I caught the train to Sheffield and the tram to Malin Bridge, and started my walk from here.

River Loxley

I walked along the River Loxley, keeping my eyes and ears peeled for birds. There were plenty about, unfortunately no kingfishers that I saw, but a flock of long-tailed tits kept me amused for a good few minutes as they didn't seem at all bothered by my presence. Behind the tits were a couple of squirrels; unfortunately too far away for my camera to capture but still good to stand and watch.

Beyond this weir I spotted a heron flying away. These majestic birds are amongst my favourites. Walking on I came to the Mill Dam where I stopped to have a rest and enjoy the nature around me:

There were quite a lot of derelict buildings next to the footpaths, although the beauty of the area wasn't affected too much by them. Below is a photo of one of the more attractive buildings; most of the others seemed to be the remnants of an industrial site.

After a couple of hours walking I left the houses behind and emerged onto access land. Climbing up through the wood I disturbed a kestrel that had been perched high in a tree. Joining the road again I discovered I was in the village of Dungworth:

After a few more minutes rest and admiring the view, I decided to head back the way I had come.