Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Halton & Warrington Group

email us . site map

Halton and Warrington Wildlife Group

Your Local Group of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Newsletter January 2008

Recent Events
We have held the following meetings since the last newsletter.

We have held the following meetings since the last newsletter.

2nd March Quiz evening
A very enjoyable evening that also raised about £100 for the Trust. Our thanks again to Mike Edmondson for setting and asking the questions.

10th March Lymm Dam
We had a good turnout and were delighted to watch the Great Crested Grebes displaying. We also found a small population of Creeping Comfrey, the first new record of this plant in Cheshire for several years.

16th May Murdishaw Wood
A small number of hardy enthusiasts turned out and braved the rain!

20th June Gowy Meadows
An excellent visit led by Jacki Hulse, who gave a most interesting talk as we walked round the reserve. We saw the Trust’s herds of English Longhorn and Dexter cattle, and learnt about the valuable grazing work they do for the Trust. We were also lucky to see hares and buzzards. We were fortunate that our visit was before the worst of the wet summer, as the paths were impassable a week or so later.

4th August Risley Moss
This visit was part of the Meres and Mosses programme, and attracted people from all over the county. We were led by Tony Parker, whose knowledge helped us identify all the butterflies, damselflies, dragonflies and birds that we saw.

22nd September Wigg Island
Another good turnout with sightings of raptors, waders and migrants.

17th November Gatewarth
It was interesting to see how this former landfill site has developed, and how good it is for waders, ducks and gulls. There were still an amazing number of plants in flower, and we spent some time watching a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

HOLCROFT MOSS RESERVE
Holcroft Moss Nature Reserve, near Culcheth and Glazebrook, is one of the Trust's largest reserves (18ha), and is a Site of International Importance for Nature Conservation, being the only lowland bog in Cheshire that has never been cut for peat.

Over the winter we run a monthly working party on the first Sunday of each month from 10am to 12.30pm. The normal tasks include path clearance, removal of birch saplings from the bog area, checking of fences etc. This is good exercise, with chances of seeing snipe, woodcock and other birds and mammals.

For further details, please contact Phil & Elspeth Brighton on 01925 763002 or e-mail philip_brighton@tiscali.co.uk

Please note that CWT requests that anyone wishing to visit Holcroft Moss should first contact them.

KEEP UP TO DATE BY EMAIL

If you would like to receive a short email reminder of forthcoming events, please email Lyn Goodkin at cwt@goodkin.plus.com

Your email address will not be passed on to anyone else.

Hebridean sheep at Holcroft

Our Hebridean sheep grazing on Holcroft Moss

Future Events

For more information on all events, please contact Tony Parker on 01925 726986

Saturday 20th January
Tatton Park
Well known for its herd of red and fallow deer, the park also has a good variety of water and woodland birds.
Meet at 9.30 am in the main car park (car park charge), bring packed lunch

Saturday 23rd February
Risley Moss and Group AGM
Risley Moss is an important nature reserve as it is one of the few raised lowland peat bogs left in the area, and there are plenty of woodland birds to see from the hides. We will have a morning walk round the site, followed by the Group AGM in the visitor centre.
Meet at 10 am at the car park, Ordnance Avenue, Birchwood, WA3 6QX (SJ664921)

Friday 7th March
Quiz evening
A social evening with a general quiz (although there is bound to be a wildlife round). Bring friends and any drinks and snacks you fancy: we will provide tea and biscuits as well during the interval. There will be a small raffle to raise funds for the Trust.
Tickets £3 from Lyn Goodkin, tel 01925 740231.
Meet at 7.30 pm at Milner Institute, Runcorn Road, Moore WA4 6UB (SJ577843). The car park entrance is off Moss Lane.

Saturday 15th March
Moore Nature Reserve
A visit to one of our best local reserves, looking for water birds, early migrants and early spring flowers.
Meet at 9.30am at Lapwing Lane crossroads, near the Moore Lane swing bridge (SJ578854)

Saturday 26th April
Dunham Massey
The house is set in attractive gardens of special interest to enthusiasts. An orangery shares space with fine old trees and planted borders, a Victorian bark house and well house. The deer park surrounding the house and gardens offers lovely walks beside ponds.
Meet at 10 am at the main car park (entrance fee) (SJ733877)

Saturday 17th May
Woolston Eyes
A well-known nesting site for black-necked grebe, it also has a good variety of water birds and spring migrants.
Meet at 9.30 am by the barrier in Thelwall Lane (SJ642875)

Wednesday 18th June
Sutton Manor, St. Helens
Good for wildflowers (including bee orchid and blue eyed grass) and water voles, with a selection of birds (a range of nesting species such as yellowhammer, willow warbler, skylark and reed bunting).
Meet at 7pm at the Smithy Manor pub on Jubits Lane, which is a safe parking spot (SJ517905)

Wednesday 16th July
Rixton Claypits
Once a clay extraction site, Rixton Claypits is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Local Nature Reserve. It has a diverse range of habitats. Easy to follow paths will take us to ponds, wildflower meadows, quiet corners and woodland.
Meet at 7pm at the car park, Manchester Road, Rixton, Warrington, WA3 6EB (SJ688902): from Warrington, follow the A57 out of Woolston across the M6. In about a mile, continue past the transport café and the turning for the Visitor Centre. The car park is 120 yards further along on the left, before Chapel Lane.

Saturday 9th August
Danes Moss
Danes Moss is a Trust Reserve that is a cut-over lowland raised bog SSSI, surrounded by a woodland fringe. Eleven species of dragonfly and damselfly have been recorded on the reserve along with the green hairstreak and eighteen other species of butterfly. Characteristic bog plants include sphagnum mosses, cotton grass and cross-leaved heath.
Contact Tony Parker for details of parking and meeting time.

Saturday 13th September
Weaver Valley
A walk through the woodlands along the River Weaver including the CWT reserve at Warburton’s Wood.
Meet at 10 am – park along Ball Lane (SJ557750)

Saturday 1st November
Hale Marsh
A walk along the Mersey Estuary looking at the wildlife of the mud flats and saltmarsh. The site holds a good variety of waders and wildfowl with birds of prey such as Peregrine and Merlin.
Meet at 10am by the church in Hale village (SJ472820)