Sunny walk in 2026

 For once we had a sunny afternoon for our informal A Rocha/SWWG/SFG nature walk today, so I thought a record of some species we found around the Dingle Trail and Park Pond would be worthwhile. Bee Orchids (Waitrose) - about 20 as seedheads. Cat's Ear, Autumnal Hawkbit, Ground Elder. Black Spleenwort & impressive Lady Ferns. Butterflies - Large White c20, Small White 1, Holly Blue 5, Ringlet 2, Comma 3, Speckled Wood 3, Red Admiral 1. Scarlet Tiger Moth 3. Dragonflies - Banded Demoiselle female (also pairs afterward), Blue-tailed Damselfly 8, Azure Damselfly 2. Songbirds - Wren 2, Chiffchaff 2, Blackcap 1. Moorhen, both well grown and tiny young. Purple Loosestrife, Water Forget-me-not, Brooklime nfl, Gipsywort nfl, Figwort. Field Maple, Aspen, Horse Chestnut leaf miner. Common Spotted Orchids c30, also Ragged Robin, Large Birds-foot Trefoil, much Meadowsweet,  Musk Mallow, Wild Carrot. Nice.

May walk

 Our first guided walk of the summer found a kingfisher! Flying under Brook bridge towards Dingle Lake. Interesting flowers included Field Madder near Waitrose (but no obvious Bee Orchids), Large Bittercress near the Lake, Bogbean in the Park pond. Black Spleenwort doing well considering the dry weather.

Sandbach Fine Trees Circuit - NEW

  And yet another one! Now on this blog you can find the links to our new SANDBACH FINE TREES CIRCUIT! On your desktop view, the links should immediately be visible on the right (as well as on a separate page). On your mobile or tablet you will need to go to the separate page - just click the down arrow to see the pages available. It is, of course, a bit late in the year to launch a Trees guide, but if you head out now you should be able to get a look at most of our finer trees before all of their leaves fall off. And next spring it will be brilliant to see them all coming into leaf! Let's all take care of them and of the wonderful world that has been lent to us. 

For help with this guide, I must especially thank Trevor Boxer of Sandbach Footpath Group, who has long made a study of trees around the Park and town. Also Roger Foden has added some nice photos. Please let me know of any problems with the links. And enjoy!         George

New Nature Trail Guide!

 And on this blog now, folks - at long last! - are the links to the new FILTER BED WOOD and OFFLEY WOOD Trail guide. On your desktop view, the links should immediately be visible on the right (as well as on a separate page). On your mobile or tablet you will need to go to the separate page - just click the down arrow to see the pages available. Enjoy!         George

Recent sightings

 Nice sightings include a Kingfisher seen occasionally at Mill Hill Lane bridge, and once even in Beech Wood; 9 Common Spotted Orchids in Sandbach Park; frequent Banded Demoiselle dragonflies along the brook (all Trail routes); and (16/7/2021) unusually, an Emperor Dragonfly patrolling a short stretch of the canal just on the Elworth side of the Wheelock road bridge! George

We're now on Facebook!

 We are now on Facebook! - just click on the right to go to our SWWG group page. BUT this blog will stay in operation as a place to find links to our free downloadable Trail guides (via tab or on right), and as an information store; and occasional nature articles may still be posted here. But for a busy view of Sandbach woodland and wildlife and lots of friends, just press the button! 

Wildlife's challenge

 Work continues in Filter Bed Wood on the Sandbach Woodland and Wildlife Group's Sandbach Bridges Trail (East), which will complement the existing Sandbach Bridges Trails (North) and (South), the Brook Wood Trail, the Sandbach Environment Trail created by the Friends of A Rocha group and of course the very popular Wheelock Rail Trail managed by Cheshire East Council.

This image from near to Filter Bed Wood shows a magnificent Giant Horsetail that demonstrates how challenging the natural world finds it to live alongside us humans nowadays. The height of the plant can be judged by comparison with the (standard size) traffic cone that someone had abandoned deep in the woodland....

Giant Horsetail