Back to walking, back to the woods and … parakeets aplenty

For a couple of reasons, I’m feeling  optimistic that 2026 will treat me better than 2025 did.

The knee isn’t fully recovered, but at last I can walk more than I have been able to over the last six months or so.

My walking is still a fair way off my usual pace, and it’s best on reasonably level ground, but it’s progress — and so I’m happy with that.

There’s another small setback ahead as I’ve got a bit more work to be done on the knee.  All being well recovery time will be shorter, and I’ll be on my way back to something that feels more like normal.

The last time we were in  a woodland or country‑park setting was back in November. That time was when we wandered around Reddish Vale Country Park.

My most recent blog post followed our wanderings around central Manchester.

This time, the walk couldn’t have been more different, a gentle amble through the local woods at Haughton Dale in Tameside.

It’s a lovely place to spend time — peaceful, green, and threaded with an accessible network of paths. It felt like the perfect spot to gently stretch my walking again and enjoy being out among the trees.

First time for a long time

If you have followed this blog or dipped in and out over the years you will know walking and photography are a big part of how I have spent my time.  … as well as having something of an interest in motorbikes.

It seemed like it was the first time for a long time that we had walked through the woods at Haughton Dale. It was really enjoyable and it’s something I have missed a great deal.

Not too much wildlife about

There wasn’t a huge amount of wildlife about, but there was an abundance of parakeets. In fact, there were far more than we’ve ever seen down there on previous visits.

I’m guessing the rise in numbers mirrors what’s happening across the UK more broadly. Parakeets, especially the Ring‑necked Parakeet are thriving nationwide.

Their success in establishing themselves isn’t without some controversy. They’re increasingly viewed as pests because of the damage they can cause to crops and vineyards, and they compete with native hole‑nesting birds such as woodpeckers and owls for nest sites.

Even so, I can’t help but enjoy seeing them. They’re colourful, lively, and impossible to ignore…  they are unmistakably noisy.

A few of the parakeets we spotted can be seen in the picture gallery below.

Picture gallery

Clicking on any image will open a set of pictures that can be clicked or scrolled through