Monday, March 21, 2016

A Woodland Walk

To enjoy the good weather on the first day of Spring yesterday we decided to go out for a walk.  We made for the local RSPB Nature Reserve at Coombes Valley which is just a few miles away from us.

 We decided to follow the Woodcock Trail

 The trail makes its way across the edge of the reserve, quite high up and with lovely views over the surrounding farmland and countryside.

 There are a couple of viewing stops on this walk

 It takes quite a while to walk the trail as there is so much to see and do.

The leaflet says that the walk is one mile long but when we got back to the information centre and asked the volunteer on duty she said it was more like three, I expect this includes the paths through the reserve that lead to the start of the trail.  It certainly did seem longer than just one mile.

It is quite rocky underfoot at times and there are plenty of warnings about the steep drop at one side so we probably took extra time being carefull not to trip on the rocks and roots to avoid plunging down there.
It was a lovely morning and very quiet; we had the trail to ourselves nearly all the way around.

As we walked we could see buzzards thermalling in the sky above.

We also saw pheasants and robins

We looked on the stream to see if we could see the dipper that had been reported as being spotted down there by an earlier visitor, but we didn't see it.  We could hear a woodpecker somewhere close.

The only woodcock we saw was on the bench where we sat for a while before making our way back to the car park.

We were out in the sunshine and fresh air for over two hours and it was a great walk on which to enjoy the lovely spring weather.

24 comments:

  1. This looks like a lovely walk with some great views. I love the tumbling stream in the spring sunshine. It's a shame the dipper didn't appear but there was obviously plenty to enjoy there.

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    1. It was a lovely walk and there was plenty to enjoy including the buzzards overhead:)

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  2. Nice to have "wild" places to walk close to home. I have such a fear of heights that I can't do walks with a drop off.

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    1. I know what you mean, it was more a roll off and down a steep incline with trees than a sheer drop but with the narrow path it did feel a bit scary:)

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  3. That looks like a great spring walk. I was impressed by the way paths were available through private land, and at how people respected the properties, closing gates and giving animals wide berth.

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    1. Yes, there is a public footpath across the RSPB site and dogs are kept on leads when crossing areas where ground nesting birds are. Also the gates and stiles stop animals getting through to areas where they aren't wanted:)

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  4. How lovely to get out on the first day of spring! I bet next weekend will be really busy with visitors. x

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    1. It was a very warm first day of Spring and yes, next week it will be very busy with school holiday activities:)

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  5. That looks a glorious walk. That bench is really nicely carved!x

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    1. I thought the bench was great fun, the walk is wonderful especially in the dry sunny weather:)

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  6. I love the woodcock trail but haven't had a walk at Coombes for a while, we've not had a lot of time for walking lately...perhaps next weekend!

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    1. You sound very busy, Louise. I hope you can get some walking in during the holidays:)

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  7. What a lovely walk, and a great bench too!! It looks as though it was well signed which is always good on a walk isn't it. xx

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    1. Yes, it was well signed and needed in places - I do like to be reassured by a sign or two that I am heading in the right direction:)

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  8. It's so good to get out for a walk when the sun's out, it looks a great walk with plenty to see. :-)

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    1. It was good to be out in the fresh air and it's a lovely place to walk:)

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  9. Looks like a lovely walk. I'm hoping to get out some time today if the weather stays good. Not sure where I'm going though.

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    1. Hope the weather stayed fine for you trip out. The forecast isn't so good for next weekend:)

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  10. It looks a lovely walk and the carved bench is superb :) Coombes Valley has long been on my list of possible places to visit so it was great to see all your photos of the walk. You are lucky to live so close :)

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    1. It is a super place to visit, I hope you get there one day and it is close to the canal and railway at Cheddleton too:)

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  11. By the comments we all like a good walk in the Spring sunshine, I was brought up next to a river which I miss very much, so seeing any streams or rivers in photos brings back a lot of memories.
    Plenty of Dippers in Yorkshire if you are ever this way, hopefully next time you will spot it.
    Amanda xx

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    1. We don't see many dippers locally, although I have seen them in the Peak district at Over Haddon. Happy childhood memories of a brook in our local woods, we children used to paddle in it and catch things in jam jars for the nature table at school:)

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  12. Interesting series of images.....I haven't seen a woodcock for years....they must be hiding somewhere!

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    1. I've only ever seen them in Museum displays, they were certainly hiding from us on that walk:)

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