Health Walk - Tuesday 12th January 2016

Photos by Michael - Please click on photos to see a larger one

Today we had twenty-one walkers!  A record breaking Tuesday.  As far as I can remember that's the most we've ever had on a Tuesday, may even be the most ever.  I should have taken a photo at the Barn!

Bernadette, Brian, Carmel, Carol, Carole, Elizabeth M, Frankie, Graham, Irene S, Irene T, Jacqueline, James, Judy, Lawrence, Linda P, Maureen, Michael, Pat, Peter, Sue and Wendy.   It was Wendy's first walk with us.

We set off in bright sunshine but it didn't last long.  By the end we were experiencing rain and wind.

Michael led off into the Pinetum, which hadn't been his intention, meaning to go down to the Stone Bridge.  We walked up past the bird feeders in the viewing area.  There were Great Tits and Peter and Sue, dragging their feet a little, saw a Nuthatch.  We corrected our route and walked up to the new visitors centre where we were disappointed again as there were no birds on the feeders there but we saw Ian working away, shoveling.

We carried on to the the Stone Bridge walked up past the Lake, no Canada Geese insight, into the field.  Jacqueline and Carole decided that was far enough for them so back-tracked a little and walked along the Cycle Track, over the Wooden Bridge, up Cardiac Hill and back to the Barn - blue route.  They encountered Peter and Sue walking in the opposite direction along the Cycle Track.  After watching the birds a while at the viewing centre Peter and Sue had walked down to the Wooden Bridge and along the Cycle Track, over the Stone Bridge and back up Snake Hill to the Barn - green route.  Peter was leading the short walk but Michael's start had confused everything.

Michael led up into the Field, passing Hawks Clough, along the path past the Ponderosa and into Cam Lane.  We walked to the end of Cam Lane or perhaps some would say the start of Cam Lane and down Sheephill.  We re-entered the Park alongside the Town Brow car park and walked north along the Cycle Track to the Wooden Bridge.  

Jelly Ear and Turkey Tail Funghi

We crossed the Wooden Bridge, the river had dropped a little since the Winter Bird Walk on Sunday - these five photos are from Sunday' Winter Bird Walk with David B.  The first one was in Walkers Wood and the other two funghi in Cock Cabin Wood.

We carried on up Cardiac Hill into the Pinetum and back to the Barn where we all squeezed into the corner for our refreshments.

Michael had tried to find a route without puddles and almost succeeded.  We came across two, the first as we neared Hawks Clough and the second just after we had crossed the Wooden Bridge, both were easily circumvented.

Carmel appealed for left over Christmas biscuits.

I'm sorry there are no photos from today.

Today's walks

Michael Swarbrick