Biking Birder Rides Again 2015

Thursday 23rd April  Up the hill to Eastern Moors RSPB Reserve with the continuing fabulous weather making the views lovely despite high pressure haze. Along a dry stone wall edge of the huge reserve I met one of the RSPB workers, Alex, working at removing old barb wire strands. He told me some of the things he knew about the reserve and pointed the way to the reserve offices. Through a gate and a push along a grassy path, I then met a couple of dog walkers, Graham and Gill, who obviously loved the area as they said they came regularly. Sam their dog loved it too, soaked and muddy and shaking it all over us all. Graham told me about one of the stone circles, yes one of them; there are a few around the moors and walked back with me to make sure I didn't miss the small path to the nearest one.  Walking and pushing the bike along the path a very small dark butterfly went past me. I thought it was a brown argus but couldn't re-find it to photograph and confirm. The

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 lunc

Saturday 18 th April On the road again! A bumpy cycle along the dockside road to Seaforth and views of the reserve through the fencing. In 2010 I hadn't been able to see much and it was only after I'd left that the news of a Wilson's phalarope came out. No news of such a quality bird today and I instead enjoyed close vies of a male wheatear. Down to the beach to see the Antony Gormley statues and along to Hightown with beautiful sunny weather and a few willow warblers in bushes. I reached Freshfields and went down to the red squirrel reserve to see the little tykes. Quite a few of them about and lovely to see. Sunday 19 th April Up early from my wild camp tent and soon on the way to Southport via a cycle path that skirted Ainsdale sands. Now I lived in Southport way back in 1978 and was keen to see the changes. First one noted was the massive spread of spartina grass on the seashore. In 1978 the saltmarsh grasses had stopped around the

Saturday 11 th April She did too. Shirley brought me my breakfast suffering from a hangover. She had no knowledge of meeting me the night before. I have that effect on women! Three Frenchmen joined me for breakfast and only wanted bread. My 'pigeon' French came in handy as they spoke almost no English. They were over here for a rugby game. Another cycling day; too many of those recently. 35 miles to get to Ballycastle to catch a boat across to 3 RSPB reserves on the wonderful Rathlin Island. The first part of the road took ages as it was a long rise to the top of a high hill, not steep but too much for me to cycle up setions of it. On top there were 21 large wind turbines. I love them and think they enhance the scene. You may feel different but I remember blowing colourful smaller versions of these when I was a child. 21. I had plenty of time to count them as I pushed the bike up the hill. Down the other side was superb, long and not too steep, it was one of

Wednesday 8 th April A superb breakfast served up by the 'there's lovely' Alice. Goodbye and thanks to her and Dermot for a lovely night's stay and the long ride to Aghatirourke RSPB reserve began. At least the weather was continuing to be very kind to me, sunny and warm with just a little wind coming from the south west. Puncture! Just before the Republic of Ireland border, reasonably soon fixed despite there being two small holes. The mileage signs caused hilarity just before this happened. 11 miles then 10 to go to Monaghan, then 11 again, back to 10 and finally back to 11. I'd travelled 4 miles during this time and where they had gone for the sign makers I don't know. Into and straight through Monaghan, into and straight through the Republic, I had no time to sightsee this time. Blackcap singing in a thicket to the left and as i'm back in Northern Ireland I can count it on the BOU year list, number 179. Willow warblers! Bird number

Sunday 5 th April Now how much fun can one have at an RSPB reserve? Answer a lot! I'd got up early and cycled, after a breakfast seated at the table with two young Germans from Bremen, To Belfast Lough RSPB reserve. A new visitor's centre greeted me as did a delightful Polish girl named Monika. Once inside I met Heather and Hilda and they were soon joined by Pete and Pamela. No Chris, the warden. It was his day off and gutted as I was that he was not there, as I had had a brilliant time with him last time back in 2010, there was nothing to be done about that and so we all had a good natter, a coffee and a look at the birds. Monika went out to the front of the centre and put out a lot of corn. This brought in around 50 black-tailed godwits, many in summer plumage. They were so close. Brilliant. I don't know of any other RSPB reserve where you can see so many of these wonderful birds just yards in front of you. As high tide approached I searched through the gull

Friday 3 rd April Out into the rain early to try for the surf scoter, it meant leaving everything at the hotel and walking a mile plus out to the water's edge. Walking across the flat sands of Hoylake, it was clear that the chances of the surf scoter were very slim and so it proved. On reaching the sea the scoter were still a long way off in sporadic groups and there was no way I was going to see the special one. I did see very close sanderling though and I videoed a distant flock of waders as they proved to be about 750 oystercatchers as they flew past and beyond towards Hilbre Island. A youtube moment. With the tide coming in I backtracked all the way to the seawall and sat in a shelter there hoping that the rain would stop. It did to some extent but then the fog came in! After collecting the bike and stuff and having seen no improvement in the fog, I decided to cycle to New Brighton. At least I should get the laughing gull that had been there for a very long time. C