Walk back up the way you have come, and back at the crossroads turn left up to the aerial mast. Scan the small fields and heather here for perhaps a Wheatear and then follow the path down, and after 350 yds. emerge on to a lane. Turn right and after 80 yds. emerge on to a road. Walk left along the road, and after 150 yds. turn left on a road leading to Cordawell Farm. After 50 yds. leave the drive on the right over a style. Walk slowly along this ill-defined footpath, which crosses a bog on a slightly raised bank. Good walking boots or Wellington boots are necessary here. This bog has breeding Meadow Pipit and Reed Bunting. Snipe and Curlew are usually here between August and April, and Jack Snipe has been discovered wintering. On the slope between the bog and road we have seen Ring Ouzel in spring, and many migrants in the autumn, with pipits, wagtails, Wheatears and Linnets. Retrace your steps back on to the road and walk left along the road for 200 yds. On the left are four car park pull-in laybys. At the fourth set up your telescope. You will have a good view over the bog and the Cheshire Plain. In spring, time spent here may produce Linnets and, especially in March, Fieldfares, Redwings, Chaffinches and even Bramblings may fly over. In autumn diurnal migration is often evident, especially in September and October, with groups of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks arriving from the north-east and flying over. Follow the road for another 150 yds. and look down into the old quarry on your left. Wheatears, Ring Ouzels, or even Whinchat or Stonechat may be here. If you walk down the road for another 200 yds. from the quarry, you will see a broad, rocky path on your right. This is the Cheshire Way and continues along the County boundary for several miles. Time spent birding along here may be productive and if there are no birds about the views are good compensation.
Retrace your steps back up the road for ¾ mile, then turn right into a dirt road by a footpath sign saying ‘Mow Cop Trail’ and ‘Mow Cop Folly’. This leads through small fields and past a farm on the right. After 250 yds. is a crossroads, go straight on. After 50 yds. a garden on the right looks good for migrants. Another 50 yds. brings you out on Wood Street. Turn right and then after 100 yds. left back to the castle.
This walk will best be done over a full morning, and is about 2½ miles in length. Don’t expect to see many birds, although what you see will probably be good, and you will be helping with the advancement of our local knowledge. Please enter all your sightings in the SECOS logbook at the Sandbach Flashes.
Andrew and Angela Goodwin
