The festive season is behind us, just as quickly as it arrived, having left a parting gift in the form of ‘the rest of winter.’ The weather remains cold, the trees remain bare, and rain comes down in slick sheets…
Manchester staycation inspiration: Goat yoga in Rossendale
I first heard of goat yoga in Manchester when my friend saw a couple doing on the Indian Matchmaking show on Netflix, she went online and found it in Rossendale. After lockdown and with my birthday coming up, we were…
Urban birdwatching: The secret wildlife of Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury
Even though I live in Chorlton, I didn’t even visit Didsbury’s Fletcher Moss Park until lockdown, but when I did I realised that it is an absolute urban wildlife paradise, especially for birds. Fletcher Moss Park contains its own rockery…
Deer rutting and birdwatching at Dunham Massey
The National Trust estate of Dunham Massey is a treat for wildlife lovers in so many ways, whether its birdwatching or deer rutting that you’re interested in. Located in the borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester near Altrincham, the Dunham…
Urban birdwatching at Stretford Ees in Manchester
The floodplain of Stretford Ees is a secret birding site next to the River Mersey and Turn Moss in Chorlton. This undiscovered gem in the Mersey Valley is the perfect place for urban birding in South Manchester and I only…
The secret wildlife of a Manchester power station
Most of us live near some sort of power station, but do we ever stop to look up and see what wildlife may be hiding in plain sight? Power stations are so big, yet easily overlooked and the height means…
Urban birding in Kenworthy Wood in Manchester
South Manchester’s Kenworthy Woods is a 55-acre woodland full of urban wildlife and birdwatching. It is situated next to the River Mersey between Chorlton and Northern Moor, just across the river from the ever-popular Chorlton Water Park near Merseybank Estate…
The secret garden (wild)life of Merseybank Estate in Manchester
I have lived on Merseybank Estate in Chorlton for six years and like many people I became more obsessed with wildlife during the coronavirus lockdown. As I was working from home, I spent my lunch breaks and evening watching everything…
Urban birdwatching at Sale Water Park and Sale Ees in Manchester
Sale Water Park is a great place for urban birdwatching in Manchester and as it’s in my local area I’ve been photographing birds and logging my sightings here during lockdown. The park used to be a gravel pit which was…
Lockdown fun: Play Birdy Bingo with your kids!
Watching birds is an easy and free way to occupy bored kids and they’re learning about nature too. Lockdown has got many of us out and about in our local neighbourhoods and there’s been a huge surge of interest in…
Urban birdwatching at Southern Cemetery in Manchester
Southern Cemetery is on my doorstep so I decided to use lockdown as a chance to explore it and see what birds I could find it there in the springtime. It is the large municipal cemetery in the UK and…
9 incredible places to experience natural beauty in Essex
Essex is one of my absolute favourite counties in England, it has sun, sand, sea and a wealth of natural beauty, so here are 9 incredible places in Essex that I think you should visit. This post may contain affiliate…