Blackstone Edge – Chelburn Moor – Chelburn reservoirs – Castle Clough – The White House Inn.

11:30 – 13:45

We had a visit to Sue’s sisters in Soyland this morning and afterwards had a walk on the high moor land  above Littlemoor. We parked near the White House Pub above Littleborough and took the Pennine Way(P.W.) path past Blackstone Edge Reservoir. There was a pr. Mallard on the water and a Pied Wagtail here. The reservoir is very full and a bit bleak, with nothing but cobblestones or high peat sides – not a lot of places for waders to delve about.

There were many white sacks placed on the moor, which at first I though contained stone for path repairs, but after watching the bags being emptied and spread across the moor, decided that they must contain soil. Looking at ‘tinternet’ when I got home it would appear that the moor is being regenerated and the stuff in the sacks is possibly ‘heather brash’.

Our route followed the P.W. for a short while before turning left, downhill, on a long trek (shown by marker posts) through tufted grass. When the path levelled out we turned left on a good path following a drainage channel. This path approaches Higher Chelburn res. but never gets very close to it. The path joins the Pennine Bridleway (uphill) and skirts around the Res. to arrive at a farm.

Just before the farm we met some hikers coming towards us. “Watch out for the mad Goose” one of them warned. At the farm we were met ‘Bert’ a very irate Canada Goose guarding the path. A Peacock was also nearby. After we managed to ‘negotiate’ past Bert, a farmer shouted “Have you seen a Goose? It’s been giving some hikers some grief apparently”. “Yes” we replied “It’s been trying to kill us!” The farmer explained that the goose was brought to him, injured, with broken wings, when it was a small chick. He had looked after it since then and it was harmless. The broken wing bit, accounted for the strange wing flapping when it flew towards us guarding the path from our marauding boots. (I though the goose was trying a courtship dance with the Peacock when I saw it at first - Doh).

¼ mile further along our path turned left, back on itself, to rise very, very steeply to arrive at another B/W where another left turn and a few hundred yards brought us to the pub and a brilliant roast beef sarnie!

There were fewer birds about than I’d hoped – 4 Skylark were singing above Blackstone Edge moor.

The Chelburn Reservoirs were on the limit of my bins/camera but hawk-eyed Sue spotted ‘some birds’ on the shore. These turned out to be pr. Goosander.

Also on/near the reservoir 2 Canada Geese, 1 Oystercatcher, 12 Lapwing and a few Mallard.

The walk from the Res. to the pub revealed a Pheasant and Barmy ‘Bert’ the Canadian and not a lot else.

Bert, during a calm moment

Headstone

Copperhead, Sidewinder or Electric Eel ?