Another walk around an almost deserted Manchester, relatively early in the morning, with a little fog this time.
Two surprises: rather unseasonal roses growing in Castlefield, and seeing a kingfisher in Castlefield. Earlier this year I thought I’d seen a kingfisher zipping down the Ashton Canal but almost convinced myself I was mistaken. This time it was quite definitely a kingfisher. Their feathers are bright seen against a rural background, against grey concrete and black canal water they’re almost dazzling. I failed to photograph the roses (A. managed it) and the kingfisher was almost impossible to follow with the eye, nevermind a camera.
In about 20 years of living in Warwickshire I saw one kingfisher. This year in Manchester I’ve seen kingfishers twice. I suppose Manchester’s post-industrial canals are now much cleaner than the rural rivers of 1970s Warwickshire, even if they’re rather less verdant.
