Billinge - Carr Mill Dam - Billinge

A cold bright sunny morning, ideal for a walk before returning to work after the Easter break.
We've walked around Carr Mill Dam on a number of occasions, the first being at the start of the Lancashire Trail (http://maghullmeanders.blogspot.co.uk/2006/08/lancashire-trail.html) way back on the 13th August 2006.
Today I decided we would start in Billinge rather than any of our past starting points of St Helens, Carr Mill Dam, or the Sankey Valley Park at Newton-Le-Willows.
It was hoped that we would see the usual Grebes on Carr Mill Dam.

On the way to the Dam we saw a heron in flight, ready, I'm sure, to feast upon Frogs and Toads as the head to water to mate.
There were lots of ducks, geese, moorhens, coots, and swans

Nesting Swan

at the start of our walk around the Dam. However we didn't see any grebes until we got to the "top end" near the A580.

Grebe & Gull

We also saw Cormorants...

Cormorant

and, on the far bank, another heron.

Heron number 2

Carr Mill Dam has a lot of fish eaters but...

An ex-resident

the number of people fishing, and the image above, suggests there is plenty for all. I hazard a guess it is also re-stocked periodically.
There were a number of signs that Spring has arrived, in spite of the temperature. e.g. 

Coltsfoot

New green leaves

Blossom

Spring flowers, new leaves and blossom.

Robins, chaffinch, long-tailed tits, blue tits, a thrush, blackbirds, sparrows and more flitted around us.

Both Chris and I remembered the weather vane on the round tower, from our Lancashire Trail walk, but couldn't remember what it was until we passed it for a second time in seven years...

Weather Vane

Otter Swift Farm was the clue!

Passing Eric - we returned to the car completing our 4.3293 mile walk.

We even have a whiskey named after you! What Eric!

You can see the walk at...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5873858

Walking again soon...

Ogden Clough and Swineshaw

Our walk started from a peaceful lane, between arable land and moorland, taking us through the edge of Hollingworth to a nature reserve created around abandoned reservoirs.
The lambs, at Landslow Green, were an excellent start to the day...

and...

To say the walk was muddy was an understatement; in parts it was very heavy under foot. Apparently this walk was "an easy introduction to moorland" - Rubbish! What with boggy paths through Swallows Wood Nature Reserve and steep climbs, in particular after Devil's Bridge...

the walk was quite demanding; it was also, on the plus side, a very 'engaging' walk
As said already Swallows Wood Nature Reserve is based around former reservoirs created by damming Ogden Brook in the 1850s. Concessionary paths thread the woodlands and we were taunted by the 'mocking laugh' of a green woodpecker which, try as we might, we couldn't locate. Higher up, on moorland tracks and roads, we could see Arnfield, Higher and Lower Swineshaw Reservoirs. There were fine views of Manchester over Lower Swineshaw Reservoir. The reservoirs were very blue which made the cold wind feel even colder. We did expect to see some wildfowl on the reservoirs but were out of luck (Not even a cormorant).Passing back through Hollingworth Hall, we returned to Hobson Moor Road having completed 5.7619 miles. The map of this walk can be found at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1763741.
The picture below has more details of the Nature reserve...

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