Orrell

Orrell Water Park

I'd woken up dead tired and with a banging headache so I knocked the planned outing on the head, it'll do for next week when I've got a better head on. I decided to go over to Orrell Water Park, thinking a walk would blow a few cobwebs out and it would be the first visit of the year.

I wasn't expecting much, it's a small site that's best visited in Winter or Spring when the small birds can't disappear into the foliage, but you never know your luck. And it never gets silly busy, which is good if you're looking for a quiet peaceful walk.

The two ponds were quiet: a dozen each of mallard and black-headed gulls on the lower pond and a few coots and moorhens on both. There were robins, wrens and chaffinches in the trees and bushes and woodpigeons clattering about in the treetops.

Greenslate
Water Meadows

I wandered through into Greenslate Water Meadows. Half a dozen swallows flew overhead and I could hear but not see a mixed tit flock working its way through the willows and balsalm along the stream.

I'd done a circuit round the upper part of the walk and had got back to the screen by the Winter feeding area when I noticed a nuthatch hanging from a willow branch. While I was watching it the mixed flock emerged, mostly great tits, blue tits and chaffinches with a couple of goldfinches and a chiffchaff in tow. A juvenile bullfinch feeding on brambles seemed not to be part of the flock. I kept an eye out for willow tits but had no luck. I had even less luck taking photos of any of the birds: the weather had closed in and none of them were up for staying still for the camera in the gloom.

The wind picked up and reminded me why they're called crack willows. I'd had a nice walk and cleared my head a little so I headed off to the station for the train home before the rain came down properly.