birds

I went on a bike ride this afternoon. A quick if muddy two and a half hours down the Transpennine Trail towards Altrincham and back.

It was a quiet day and I wasn't looking out for anything in particular. Just spending time on the bike and getting a little exercise and air.

Early on I saw a kingfisher sat on metal bars over an overflow on the Mersey facing away from the river. It didn't move as I passed and looked larger than I expected.

Some way further a brown lump in a field turned out to be a bird of prey. Don't ask me what - I really couldn't say. But having seen it again a little later I'm sure it was around 60-70cm tall or more and quite dark brown.

It might have been a buzzard, it might have been something more common, it might even have been an exotic escapee from a Falconry Centre. Without a photograph I'll never know.

That's not all. On the way back I looked right and within touching distance a heron stood on the ground between trees.

Shortly after this I saw the bird of prey for the second time as it flew from behind a hedge close to the track and into a tree above.

And finally an owl. Distinctive wings and head shape flying from one set of trees to another.

Not quite all. As well as the birds there were things made of wood. Most notably the bee hives and the broken abandoned model fishing boat close to where I saw the bird of prey.