Bolton to Hathersage. Catching up on the blog despite no WiFi in the tent!


Tuesday 21st April



Early morning ride through Bolton. I didn't want to see Bolton School. That's where my late wife went and I didn't want to go through the memory trail in my head at that moment.

There was Bolton School!

On nearing Radcliffe I came across a visitor's centre for the Merseyside, Lancashire and something else Wildlife Trust. Got to have a drink, I went in. There was a fantastic group of old age pensioners there for a social and a walk around the local nature reserve. Brilliant idea and wonderful people.

Next it was through Oldham, meeting a lovely Muslim girl pushing a pushchair beside me as I pushed up the hill to the town centre. She was a Brummie and she put a donation in the robin. Great!

Now I had just bought a pair of cycling sunglasses and after I reached Dovestone RSPB reserve, I realised I had left them in a Nationwide branch in Oldham! I'd had them for all of 20 minutes. Twit.

Oh I forgot to mention stopping for lunch in Heaton park, the largest council-run park in Europe I was told.

Dovestone is a large pair of reservoirs surrounded on all sides by high hills with steep rocky cliffs, very imposing and impressive. I cycled along the dam wall and the pathway around to the second dam where a road took me back to the Holmfirth Road.

A long push to get to the top, is this a photo of a turkey?

Over the moor and down into Last of the Summer Wine country, I camped up after enjoying chips and fish from Compo's cafe.



Wednesday 22nd April



A long up and down cycle ride to Hathersage where I spent the night at the youth hostel there.

Now why can't the whole of the country lane network be treated as if it were part of the Tour De France? The tarmac along the sections that had been used in such a way had perfect, smooth tarmac and painted slogans of support for the fans favourite cyclists.

On one downward stretch of such tarmac I came across a group of 4 OAP birders who were looking for pied flycatchers. We didn't see one but I did find a beautiful male redstart, bird number 189.

Next highlight of the day was meeting two walkers both before the pub and at the pub. Andy and Kevin were obviously brilliant best mates to each other and their company and banter for over an hour was superb. A pub, The Strines, with over 40 peacocks, strange how the carbon twitching world went crazy over one Lady Amhurst's pheasant when there are breeding Indian Blue peacocks everywhere.



Now please have a look at my Facebook page for up to date information. - https://www.facebook.com/bikingbirder2015

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A little near death scenario to keep me thinking.

Image
It is now Wednesday the 4th of November. I am in a hotel room just south of Aberdeen being a little nesh as it is raining outside. Last Saturday I experienced the worst moment I have ever had whilst cycling. The police are involved but the chances of a prosecution are extremely slim. I can't put any of this onto facebook as my dear Mum is watching my every step/pedal. So here's my book text for the day. Saturday 31st October Fresh SE AM to light S PM Very dark, low cloud and rain AM, very sunny & warm (14C) PM Stunning sunset. The ferry is rocking due to the swell and waves as I awake on the floor of the cinema, my usual sleeping location on the Aberdeen to Northern Isles ferry. We dock at 7 and by 7:15 I am cycling through the empty Aberdeen streets in the heavy rain. My progress is good and before 9 I reach Newborough and spend some time birding the Ythan estuary. A wader flock, mostly dunlin, reels around like a starling murmuration before landing on t...
Read more

Machynlleth to Maentwrog. 24th to 27th March. Barn owls!

Image
Tuesday 24 th March. The journey back to Machynlleth to collect the bike, panniers and carry on towards Lake Vyrnwy was uneventful and surprisingly comfortable on the Virgin train with fewer people on it than the day before. Goodbye to Josh at Wolverhampton and onto Shrewsbury, eventually reaching Machynlleth at 3.00pm. I collected the bike, loaded up and had a pleasant cycle ride towards Lake Vyrnwy. In fact it was lovely despite a quick shower that had me sheltering from the hail in an old sheep barn. Now there were two barn owl boxes inside with a lot of pellets but no way was I going to disturb the occupants despite needing them for the year list. It seemed like the whole route was uphill but with a light breeze behind me I breezed my way up. I was determined to get to Lake Vyrnwy and so as darkness fell I continued onto a B road. It was beautiful with the stars bright and a crescent Moon to the west. Beneath this was a very bright planet which one I don't know. Or...
Read more

Two Days, 3 RSPB reserves, 3 new year list birds and 3 fabulous people encounters.

Wednesday 28th January From a comfortable night at Fishbourne, near Chichester, in a room called Tiberius, the cycling was tough as there was now a strong westerly wind hitting my face. Please let me have the wind behind me one day. To Thorney Island and the checkpoint for the Ministry of Defence. I was given instructions from the officer on charge on where to go and found the west seawall that would lead me to Pilsey Island RSPB reserve. A lovely lady allowed me to hide my bike and belongings at her house and despite torrential rain and a strong gale, I set off. Getting through the security fence, I found it difficult to stay upright as the wind battered me and the mud on the path was deep and slippery. Great fun! At West Thorney I found a greenshank, Bird number 124 for the year, and as the weather was improving I took a few photographs.   Further along the path were a dozen or so red-breasted mergansers, bird number 125.   Finding the sign eventually ...
Read more