On Saturday I had a walk down to the river. This is the first time I have been down there since they redid the path. I am at a loss as to why they had to create a tarmac path on a public right of way through a field. Surely a couple of posts would have been enough? On the way down there I noticed a worn access cover. It looks as though one of the problems of having an access cover near a junction on a hill is that a lot of cars will drive over it with wheel spin. Over the years this one at the top of Kirklands Road has been worn down so that all the raised parts have been worn away.
Usually, on the way down to the reserve I go down the snicket off Hoyle Court Road, however this time I carried on down Hoyle Court Lane and past St James’ church. It is looking a lot whiter than usual.
There are now a few male Goosander down on the river. I had not noticed the colouring in the light areas before. It is almost pink.
These two decided not to hang around for me to watch them.
For the first time on the reserve I also saw some perching Redwing looking as though they were trying to fluff up against the cold.
The cold winter weather seriously hits the smaller birds especially those that eat insects but there were several flocks of Longtail Tits working along the river bank going from tree to tree. Wrens, Blue tits and Great tits were also showing. But it waqs great to spot this little character – a Goldcrest, Europe’s smallest bird. I sometimes see these in Robert’s Park but I have yet to get a clear, crisp shot of one.
Just a little further along the river, just before going through the wall at the cemetery I saw one of the reasons why anglers need to be careful with the way they fish = an Owl has been caught in fishing line on the other side of the river.
However a little further up river I cheered up a bit after seeing a Dipper. It would have been great if it had been a Black Bellied Dipper but I was lucky to see one a couple of years ago.
I then decided to walk along the canal for a while to see what the Shipley cinema looked like. On the canal a family of Swans were paddling along majestically. In the past I had seen parents having a peck at their large youngsters as though they were saying “off you go. Find a place of your own” so I was a bit surprised to see these 3 swimming along together.
Just a bit further on I went to the top of the stone bridge over the canal and took this photo which, only a few days earlier would have shown the cinema/bingo hall on Briggate, Shipley.
At that time another juvenile Swan decided to fly over. I wonder if this one had been told to find it’s own place to live.
By then I was near Ellis Briggs and taking photos of the remains of the cinema.
The man on the left is having his photo taken with a souvenir from the wreckage – a brick with the name HARROTEX on it.
Here is another HARROTEX brick. One from Wrose Hill Fireclay Company, Shipley. The pit for the clay used by Wrose Hill was only 700 yards South of Shipley railway station. The company had this name between 1901 and 1927.
You can see photos of the outside and inside of the cinema here
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