Health Walk - Thursday 2nd May 2013

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We were privileged today to have David Beattie as Leader, by popular request, to point out some of the delights of nature in the Park.

Photo 1
I, Michael, walk to the Barn in case I have to lead the shorter walk.  This photo was taken on Mill Lane, Farington Moss, although it may actually be Farington.   On the left is the site of the original Farington Hall, ahead, hidden on the left is the new resource centre.

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At the start of the walk David pointing out the recently planted wild flowers at the front of the Barn, Cowslips and Snake's Head amongst them.

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We walked into the Pinetum.  The two ponds, the one on the left created out of a rubbish tip a few years ago, the one on the right with Italian Lords and Ladies lilies is the protected Crested Newt pond (years ago, as young children, we used to catch these from the many little tributaries to the River Lostock behind where we live - now a former landfill site for Leyland Motors foundry sand on the right of Mill Lane, Photo 1 down and left).  
Nearby we heard a Blackcap in full song, we knew it was a blackcap because David identified it for us.  The birds are really singing at the moment, as David says, they are either telling each other to get off my patch or wooing a partner.

Photo 7
David explaining about the tree and listening for gold crests.

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Primroses can be found all over the Park at the moment.  Ground Ivy and a Peacock butterfly.  I tried to move the piece of straw away but it moved and Elizabeth and Carol weren't pleased with me because they hadn't got their photos of it!
Walking over the New Bridge we spotted fish in the river for the first time this year.

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Lesser Celandine is all over the Park, David explained that if we see them in a field it means that the field was once woodland, Lesser Celandine is a woodland flower.  Butterbur, grows in wet places, here near the New Bridge.  Golden Saxifrage, also abundant.

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One of David's favourite trees in the Park, two very tall ones here.  Now David made us stride out to get our hearts beating a little faster.

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Marsh Marigolds, big buttercups growing in damp places.  Wood Sorrel.

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The bracken beginning to break through amongst the bluebells.
There are Dandelions and Daisies all over the Park and the trees and bushes are breaking out into bud.

We were also privileged to see things whose secrets and positions are not to be revealed.

Everyone enjoyed David's walk and talk, a real nature walk.

We missed Brian, our Health Walks Coordinator, who we found out later was in hospital, in Blackpool, having had a heart attack!  He's OK and should be home now.
                          

Today's walks - blue is a shortcut two of us did.

Walk from home, about 42 minutes: