New Mills is a great place to see wildlife, and in January plenty of it can be found in the Torrs riverside park, especially if you follow the riverside footpaths to the local nature reserves at Mousely Bottom or to Goytside Meadow.
If you are quiet, you will often hear the birds, and then get your eye in to spot them. January has seen the arrival of small flocks of Redwing eating the berries on the trees. We have also had large busy groups of Long-tailed tits shuffling from tree to tree, being joined by Blue tits, Great tits and Europe’s smallest bird the Goldcrest. Goldcrests have to eat their own bodyweight in insects and spiders everyday. Winter is a great time to spot them as they can be almost impossible to see once the foliage is out. -Keep listening and you might hear the harsh squawk of a Woodpecker, or hear it drumming. You might also see a flash of blue along the river or the canal. I was taking photos of some little yellow and black Siskins by the river, and perched just above was a majestic Kingfisher. Kingfishers are regularly seen fishing on the quieter stretches of water around here, being especially active in winter. They avoid fast water as they are not good swimmers! I have seen them being keenly followed by Goosanders and Cormorants too, finding the best fishing spots. Look up to the overhead cables, and you may well see a Buzzard or a Kestrel, maybe a Sparrowhawk (last one I saw was near the Millennium Walkway in mid December).
Keep your eyes and ears open for the White-throated Dipper on rocks in the river. They have been seen chasing each other and singing. They make an incredibly busy song, it sounds like several birds singing at the same time, but it’s just one. It is the only aquatic songbird, like a little Pavarotti, in it’s dapper chocolate brown suit with a smart white shirt. Get out and enjoy it before the leaves return and make things harder to see.
Written by John Kitching
Photos from New Mills Wildlife Photography
Photos from New Mills Wildlife Photography
