Great Trees!

A walk to Filter Bed Wood and nearby areas found some great trees! Huge old Crack Willows are a feature of FBW, and some have magnificent Bracket Fungi on them. Here are pictures of each. How about people photographing their favourite trees in the Wildlife Corridor and posting the pictures here? - George (+ Dick M)

Fairfield Avenue birds today

I had a look for birds around the open "meadow" below Fairfield Avenue today - Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Robin, Blackbird, Great and Blue and Long-tailed Tits, all in 15 minutes. A good spot! Better still, a singing Nuthatch and - wow! a perched Buzzard that flew right in front of me  - George

Winter thrushes - Redwing

Those little thrushes in flocks whistling in the tree tops this month are mostly Redwing. This was one in Sandbach Park in Jan 2010 [picture: Sandbach A Rocha Group]. There are ones both there and in Brook Wood today. - George

Brook Wood sunshine

I only realised this morning what is the thing I like most about Brook Wood. Its slopes face directly into the winter morning sunshine. The birds also know that, to judge from the number around today. It would make a fine footpath on a fine morning  - George

Snipe on Arclid Brook!

A rare sighting beside Arclid Brook during the deep freeze on 26th December was a Snipe (a brown wading bird with a long bill) which flew up from the partly iced stream just above Dancing Bridge on the Brook Trail route. Usually seen at the Flashes!  -  George

Brook Wood 12th Dec sightings

On the planning walk a flock of Siskins (little yellow-green finches) was a nice find, new for Brook Wood. No count made. Also Goldfinches, a Bullfinch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were heard but not seen  -  George

Brook Wood Planning Walk report

On 11th December a small group examined Brook Wood. Conclusions: 1) the suggested path was very viable & not too wet; 2) habitat was attractively varied; 3) start with the first section and the grassland (family friendly here?); 4) the existing path on to Mill Hill Lane was fine  -  Thanks all, George