Gorton Lower reservoir. 23.11.2025.

 This week I had a trip over to the Gorton Lower reservoir to see if there were any foreign arrivals, bird wise that is.

These magpies were waiting on the car park for some monkey nuts, I'm sure they recognize my hat!.  

There were plenty of boat people, but not on rubber boats!.

The local kids enjoying the water even if it was freezing.

It was cold but nice and sunny

Met this couple who were trying their new mobile phones cameras  out, as you know the cameras on mobiles these days are brilliant, but! there isn't a great deal of zoom is there.

I soon got the swans a bit nearer for them with some food.

This is a young Great Crested grebe born this year.

The Bridge view café have started their Christmas parties this week and here is a menu for you.

This was a party for the local history society

A couple of Narra boats that visited the basin this week.

Look nice in the summer gliding along, but not very nice this weather. 

Back home, I only seem to be getting Sparrows at the moment, have seen a blue tit but not long enough to get a picture.

My Christmas Cactus are all doing well, Not sure if they will last until Christmas though. 

Finished this jigsaw this week,

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Down the Vale, 7.11.2025.

 On Friday it was quite mild so it was off down Reddish Vale before meeting my mate for lunch at Morrison's.

No sign of any Kingfishers, though they must be there because another friend of mine Emily photograph's them quite regularly.

I was lucky in the fact I went down to the bend in the river and managed to capture this beautiful Little egret! that was hunting on the side of the river 

Crows soon come out when there are peanuts to be had.

 Plenty of Gadwall's on the top mill pond.

There were also a lot of Wigeons too.

These were right on the far side of the top mill pond, so not a very good picture but you get the idea don't you.

Plenty of tufted duck about.

Male and female.

Resident Swan family.

Then it was off to Morrison's for lunch, good value for money there and its a new menu, so can't be bad, still free refills on hot drinks too!.

Saturday it was off to the Bridge View Café to meet friends and enjoy the good food and have our game of Gin Rummy!.

We are having our Christmas Dinner there again, (not on Christmas day)  it was so good last year, where as the past year gone again?.

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Halloween weekend, I.11.2025.

 Yesterday, (Friday) went down to Reddish Vale Park, not been there for a while, too wet and turned quite cool lately.

Met a friend David the ex-butcher who I'd not seen for a while, so that was nice.

Down by the bend in the river.

Some new benches and plant boxes have been added since my last visit.

Plenty of Gadwalls of the top mill pond.

Couple of pair of Wigeons too

Plenty of squirrels about round the park, come out of nowhere if you have monkey nuts.

Always manage to capture a Heron.

My favourite bench, always nice and clean with a nice floral display 

The swan family are all looking well and healthy.

Parents and 5 youngsters.

Battery run out. so the last two taken with my phone, what a plonker!.

Phone pictures are very good, only trouble is not much zoom.

Autumn colours looking nice now. 

Back on the home front, still got the large family of sparrows.

And whilst I'm on about large families had another Great Grand Daughter born this week!.

 9lbs.12 ozs she's a big one!, mind you most of my family are 6 footers!.

Birdie jigsaw finished this week.

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