Trip reports

Field Visit to Etherow Country Park

Sunday, 19 April 2009

A fine spring sunny morning brightened our day as we met in the car park at Etherow Country Park near the village of Compstall. The day got even better when the parking meter, which had been there the previous week, had mysteriously disappeared.

We were met by Wayne, one of the Park Rangers (Paul joined us later), who had volunteered to guide us round the reserve. He introduced us to the history of the park, which was once part of the estate of George Andrews who built Compstall Mill in the 1820s. Operation of the cotton mill required a large workforce and so George built the village, the church and the school. The mill was powered by 50 million gallons of water per day and water from the River Etherow was diverted through a feeder canal and reservoir to the mill.

And so today the canal and associated waterways play host to a number of water birds including various species of duck such as Mallard and Tufted Duck and especially Mandarin Duck together with Canada, Greylag, Swan and Egyptian Geese, Coot and Great Crested Grebe.

On the river we spotted both Dippers feeding young in a tunnel close to the weir and continued to watch them race up and down the river searching for food. The Grey Wagtails seen previously were not showing.

The surrounding mixed woodland of oak, sycamore, hazel and hawthorn contained numerous species such as the titmouse family of Coal, Great, Blue and Long-tailed together with Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Song Thrush, and Goldfinch to name but a few.

You could tell summer was just found the corner as we listened to the calls of the many warblers including Chiff Chaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap. It was too early for Pied Flycatchers to be heard but they do visit regularly.

In the afternoon we visited the Cheshire Wildlife reserve, which is located in woodland and overlooks a stretch of water. From the hide again we watched several pairs of Mandarin Duck (reported to be up to about 20 in the park).

On our return to the car park we stopped to observe a Mallard on her nest adjusting the position of an egg when suddenly the egg rolled off the nest and into the canal. You should have seen the startled look on the female's face as the egg sank below the surface of the water; the male on the other hand was dozing in the sunshine completely oblivious to what had happened. I wonder who will take the blame.

The day remained dry and sunny and so most of us ended the day with an ice cream and a smile of contentment. Eleven members saw 39 species