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When? Started: 1993 Who? Started with staff and friends from U H S, Chester. Organiser: Martyn Harris We walk every Wednesday and Saturdays, New Years day and May Day. How many walk? Walks take place as long as there are at least 2 wanting to walk on that day. More walk on a Wednesday than on a Saturday. Most ever: 29. Current group size walking: 2-10 in mid-week and 2-4 on Saturday. Where do we walk? Saturday: Anywhere in North and Mid-Wales, Peak District, Shropshire and the Long Mynd and as far North as the Trough of Bowland. Thursday: Anywhere within about 40 miles of Chester. Type of walk: Distance: 6 – 14 miles (but usually under 10 miles). Climb: up to 4000’ (but usually very much less!). People involved on walks in 2020:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage, Wendy Peers, Celia de Mengle, Wendy and Ian Peers, Roger Smith, Paul Collinson, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Celia de Mengle, Sue Pearson.

Saturday 16 May 2015

South Stack Cliffs Nature Reserve and More 16th May 2015

Our first view of Holyhead Harbour from the path leading from the Breakwater Country Park.
A section of the path on the leading from Twr to cae-alltwen.
Penrhosfeilw standing stones with Gorse of the day in the backround!
Panorama looking East South Stack Cliffs Nature Reserve near Clybyddiad.
An obliging Madow pipit.
The coastline looking towards South Stack.
Amale Stonechat.
Guillemots on the cliffs at South Stack.
The coastal path heading towards Porth Namarch and the Breakwater Country Park.
Walk stats: Distance: 10.7 miles. Climb: 1266'.
Time: 5 hours 47 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.8 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn and Celia.
Our normal route is over 12 miles and took us through the centre of Holyhead, so I decided to try starting from the Breakwater Country Park on a route that went South of the town towards Llaingoch and into the South Stack Cliffs Nature Reserve West of Porth Dafarch.
 The path from Twr to Cae-alltwen and Mynydd cleyn-bach was a delightful path that weaved its way, often with flowering Gorse on both sides. Today was a day that we couldn't get a way from the sweet smell of coconuts!
 Within ten minutes of arriving in the South Stack Cliffs Nature Reserve, we saw two Red-billed choughs and heard a Skylark singing. Blue skies all round, warm sunshine and the wind not as strong or as cold as we had been expecting, things couldn't get any better! Well yes they could we actually saw a Puffin, admittedly through a telescope in Ellin's Tower. Pretty good as it was the only one that as yet had returned.
 Birds seen or heard today included: House sparrow, Barn swallow, Common swift, Chiffchaff, Willow warbler, Jackdaw, Rook, Red-billed chough, Herring gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Oystercatcher, Meadow pipit, Skylark, Stonechat, Carrion crow, Mallard, Moorhen, Greenfinch, Common whitethroat, Chaffinch, Common blackbird, Guillemots, Common buzzard, Common pheasant, Puffin, European robin and Winter wren.
 There were a few butterflies about, we saw two Small whites, two Orange tips and a Small tortoiseshell.
 On of the highlights today was the vast number of flowers seen including: Bluebells, Red campion, Sea campion, Thrift, Spring Squill, Sea mayweed, Scabius, Buttercups, Self-heal, Tormentil and the seemingly ever present Gorse (plus many more that I can't remember).
 We arrived back at the car having had a good walk, found a new route and ideas about trying an alternative path from the Breakwater Country Park next time we come to this area.
 After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Blue Bell Inn at Halkyn, where the Cornish Vintage Cider went down well and as it was "World Whisky Day", I had a whisky in my tea when I got home!
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