A walk on the wildside

I did my usual walk down the canal towpath this morning and despite the gloomy weather found plenty to enjoy.

Just above Rawson's pool on the canal I heard the unmistakable sound of Nuthatch. I have only ever seen these once before in this area of Calderdale. I watched one bird creeping down an oak tree just above the "neck" before Rawson's pool. I heard at least two birds calling for definite but I think there were more. My observations were disturbed by Jay alarm calls, thinking it was me or the dog they had spotted I ignored them. A movement at the corner of my eye distracted my attention from the Nuthatch and there was the reason for the alarm calls, a Fox was making its way along the landing area at Rawson's pool. By the time I looked back the Nuthatch had disappeared and although I could still hear them I couldn't pick them out in the gloom (7.30 am). I moved on down the towpath and heard both Green and Great Woodpecker calling but couldn't pick them out. Looking over the field just below Knowles pipeworks "dump" I picked out two Roe deer making their way to some heavy scrub, presumable to rest up after a nights feeding.

When I got to cross the iron bridge between North bank loop and tag loop at Cromwell Bottom I paused on the bridge to see what was about on the river. I picked up a Heron, five female Goosanders fishing "Pelican" fashion. They were swimming upstream through the shallows in a line abreast, presumably to drive any small fish into a small pool at the top of the shallows. Each Goosander paddled along with its head underwater with just the occasional lift of the head to check its bearings. Once they reached the pool they all dived to feed, so I left them to it and walked up to the feeding station on Tag to scatter some more seed. I then walked back around the disabled path on tag back towards the river. When I got to the large pond I heard a crow mobbing call behind me, looking back I watched a Crow chasing a Little Owl into some scrub before breaking off its attack, my first ever Little Owl at CB all thanks to a Crow !

I made my way back up the river bank to the bridge and was rewarded with good views of Dipper and Kingfisher along the river. I then saw and heard a Green woodpecker which landed in a large Ash just by the bridge and gave me some clear views before it flew off onto Tag.

Walking back up home I was well pleased that in an hours walk within two hundred yards of one of the busiest roads in Calderdale and in an area lined by various working businesses I had seen birds and wildlife that most people in Calderdale don't even know exists on their own doorstep. I for one think its bloody marvellous that even such large animals as Roe deer and foxes can exist in even small areas we manage to save from being built on, bulldozed and abused all in the name of profit. Who was the richer man today ? The man who owns the factory and sees nothing or me with not much cash but a love of nature, I know what I would chose every time.....and no its not the cash for the cynics amongst you :-))