Park in Bruntwood Park pay & display car park at the top of Bruntwood Lane. Keep the childrens play area on your right, then bear right to the bottom of the field.
Map reference SJ 85654 87134.
Info thanks to Richard Belt
Was there 11.30-15.00 but didn't see it. The directions I gave Ian weren't the best. From the overflow car park head roughly SW downhill along the right hand edge of a field to the right hand corner. Pass over a muddy cut-through to the next field and head straight on in the direction of the A34. This takes you to the grid ref above.
Cheers John.
-- Edited by John Rayner on Friday 9th of November 2018 04:05:53 PM
Park in Bruntwood Park pay & display car park at the top of Bruntwood Lane. Keep the children’s play area on your right, then bear right to the bottom of the field.
First visit to this park for at least 30 years! A nice few hours in a lovely park. Main purpose was to explore and have a look around and see if I fancied surveying this area for roving records for the GM Breeding Birds Atlas next summer, as the park straddles two tetrads SJ88N Cheadle SW and SJ88T Cheadle Hulme which currently have a not so grand total of just three confirmed breeding records between them!!
A female Red-Crested Pochard was on the Vinery Pond - I understand possibly the last survivor of a few that were released here several years ago. Also on this pond a Muscovy Duck and adult and juvenile Moorhens and c40 Mallard.
Even for late August there was still some very surprising evidence of breeding activity. Two family parties of Chiffchaff - one where a bird was seen to be fed twice by an adult. A very noisy family party of Goldcrests were towards the top of a mature pine tree, with the young audibly and visibly begging for food. Other more typical later breeders - Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Bullfinch - were also in evidence.
Plus 2 Nuthatch, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Mistle Thrush over, 1 Grey Wagtail over.
