This being Sunday, so no workmen or heavy machinery about, my stroll took me along part of the 'Penwortham to Dock' section of the Guild Wheel. I haven't used this path for a while, preferring the Bullnose path or dockside walk while the work has been going on.
The path is now far wider than previously, and quite a few trees have been removed or cut back. This improves the access for cyclists and people with impairments (including me), but I rather liked the tangle and undergrowth. It looks rather bleak and lifeless at the moment, but I expect it it will improve once the work is finished, the trees put on some leaf and the weather improves.
I heard plenty of birdsong, but saw relatively few birds. There is never very much on the river itself along here - an occasional mallard or cormorant. Two herring gulls flew past, flying low and following the river towards Lytham. The wild flowers along the old path used attract a lot of butterflies in summer. Some interesting relics of the dock's history - such as the training walls and Diversion Quay - can be seen along here.
Herring gull x 2
Blackbird x 2
Blue tit x 2
Robin x 1
Wood pigeon x 1
I thought I glimpsed a longtailed tit, but could not be certain. If anybody ever writes a book entitled "Identifying Birds by Their Backsides" I'll definitely buy a copy.
