First week in July 2026.

 Last week  (Friday) went down to Reddish Vale to see if I could get  pictures of the young Kestrels and young Kingfishers, but I was out of luck , perhaps because it was my dinner time not theirs!.

Did manage to get the Swan's with their youngsters though.

Dad keeping an eye on them.

Time for a snooze!.

A couple of herons were there.

Three for two price of one!.

A terrapin looking like a monster from the deep.  

This poor crow seems to have a club foot, though it seems to be feeding well. 

The crows seem to like apple as well as peanuts.

The squirrels always appreciate a bit of apple.

This one can't wait to get at the goodies.

Back home my Clematis is doing well with all this sunshine.

My goldfinches are back, no babies seen as yet though.

I tried to get a picture of the Strawberry moon, but as usual it was too cloudy on the night, there again it's not coloured anyway!.

Here is the reason for it's name.

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End of June 2026.

Went over to the Debdale ressers to see the young swans, they are doing well and are quite big now.

But the sailing club were out and they don't seem to care about the wild life!.

Did see this young Grebe on the far side of the lake.

and a young Coot.

Plenty of young Canada geese about.

Dad on the alert of any trouble.

On a visit to Costa (Sainsburys) a couple of weeks ago had a surprise visit from my friends Val & Chris     

Val pointed out the plugs under all the bench seats, so can charge up your power banks hey!.

On a visit to the Bridge view Café on the Saturday Val had one of these ice creams, phew and finished it!.

On the way there I'd called at the garden center and got a very large pot for that Acer at the bottom of the garden.

You can just see my friend Kimba going back home though the fence.

I'd also called at the Ashton Moss nature reserve
and seen this young heron stood in the seating area.

Back home caught these nice Goldfinches on my feeders.

And these starlings with their young ones stocking up on Mealy worms that I got today.

Hope not be too long next time.

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Thursday 18th.6.2026

 Last week at the Bridge View Café there was a large group in from the Tameside Green volunteers.

We had our usual reserved table though so it was no problem.

I thought I'd better get down to Reddish Vale park, as I'd seen on their website that there were 5 cygnets all doing well so I went yesterday (Wednesday) and sure enough there they were!.

Dad keeping the ducks away whilst mum looking for juicy bits for the babies.

One of my fellow photographers there too,

Saw this young Magpie hopping around in the trees.

Plenty of crows about, I've read that they are the 5th most intelligent creatures on the planet. they certainly know when I'm about with monkey nuts!.

They have to be quick though before the squirrels get them.

This one tucking into seed though.

There were  couple of herons in the trees on the top mill pond.

These baby Coots are quite big now and I think that's mum telling them to get out of bed and get feeling themselves. 

Then to top the visit off there were two baby kestrel's in the nest box under the railway arches!.

When I first got there I couldn't see them but patience paid off and they eventually came to the front, no doubt waiting for their parents coming back with food. 

 There are a lot of young trees in front of the arches so it's quite hard to get a decent picture, but i'm quite happy with this one!.

Collared Dove looking for some seed!.

Mrs Quinney's bench was looking a bit worse for ware with all the bad weather we've had.

Then I noticed a new bench and saw it was for my old friend Olive Lee, I still see her husband Mr Ching and his grand-daughter in Morrisons.

He used to own the famous Chings restaurant on Reddish Lane, but it's now run by his son and been extended into next door and now called The Dragon Palace, lovely family.

Hope my mate Bob see's this as he and Olive went to an artists club together in Stockport I believe!. 

Surprised this week to find out an old mate of mine for years had written a book of his experiences in the Ambulance Service, with mentions also of the Auxiliary Fire Service before they closed that down after the Berlin wall came down.

The Green man of the title was a job we had done together at a house were the male occupant had been there dead for weeks and turned a lovely shade of green!, Ron's first job and what a job to start off his career!. 

Great guy, finished up living in Canada and running his own business!.

Back home 

The log rolls that have been in situ for 20 odd years have started to rot away so bought some nice edging stripes from Amazon to replace them all eventually when my knees get round to it!!.

My knees gave out here, all tomorrow not touched yet hey!.

Plenty more to go at!.

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