Worsley Woods

Juvenile grey wagtail

It had been a wild and woolly night, the precursor of Storm Saucy Mrs Trusspot, and it occurred to me that a visit to the coast might be in order to see what had been blown in. It then further occurred to me that it might be as well to let the effects of this morning's points failures work their way through the system before setting out anywhere on the trains. I had hoped the mid-morning melee of trains up and down the line was a hopeful sign but that was followed by a series of cancellations so I revised my plans as I watched the new baby goldfinches visiting the sunflower feeders.

Lostock Park 

I drifted over to Lostock Park where it wasn't just the weather that was autumnal. Apple trees and sweet chestnuts were chockablock with fruits and leaf fall was well underway. A few magpies and woodpigeons fed on the field. I was thinking how very, very quiet it was in the trees when a chiffchaff squeaked and a great tit ticked. I looked for either and found a treecreeper working its way up the branch of an ash tree. A couple of great tits broke cover between trees. I stood still and let the mixed flock pass me by, knowing that I was hearing and seeing not half of what the movements of leaves was suggesting and constantly being distracted by the wind in the trees and falling leaves. I heard the long-tailed tits long before I actually saw them. I didn't hear the two juvenile chiffchaffs at all, it was one of their parents doing the squeaking. The juveniles were rich, warm brown above with an orange wash on the olive brown underparts, quite different to the pale brownish grey of the adult.

Barton Clough 

It was a lot quieter in the old cornfields, even the thistles were unmolested by goldfinches. The goldenrod glowed in the dull light, the Pyracantha bushes were smothered in berries and a couple of blackbirds rummaged about in the brambles. I get the distinct impression that our local blackcaps and whitethroats packed it in early this year. I've seen no evidence of youngsters, which is a bit depressing.

Barton Clough 

Feeling a bit underwhelmed I got the 250 and played a half-hearted game of bus station bingo, ending up on the 20 to Bolton. This bus goes through Worsley, Walkden and Logistics North so there are plenty of walks I could choose to do. It seemed to take forever to get as far as Worsley, I bailed at Roe Green.

Kempnough Brook 

I took the path entering Worsley Woods from the North and soon found myself walking beside Kempnough Brook towards the motorway. This is a brisk flowing little brook that meanders through the woods before joining the pool at Old Warke Dam on the other side of the M60. Magpies and jays were suspiciously quiet as they flew between trees, woodpigeons sang and clattered about. It was a nice walk though very quiet for birds, a robin singing in the undergrowth by the motorway bridge being the only small bird I found on this stretch.

Worsley Woods 

The more open woodland on the other side of the motorway was more productive but not by much. Another robin sang, a great tit ticked and a chiffchaff squeaked. A wren quietly hopped about a bramble patch as I passed.

Teal, Old Warke Dam

The mallards and coots on the pool at Old Warke Dam were being spoilt rotten by dog walkers with bags of bread. A family of moorhens kept to the reeds and a lone teal sat and preened away from the crowds. Tufted ducks and gadwalls were notably absent.

Walking down to Worsley Brook

I walked down towards Worsley Brook, a jay and a ring-necked parakeet calling in the trees and squirrels scrabbling about by the path. My knees creaked as I took the flights of steps down to the brook and I tried not to think of the journey back up the steps and into Worsley. I was soon distracted by a family of grey wagtails on the brook with at least two juveniles bobbing about on the stones.

Male grey wagtail

Juvenile grey wagtail

It was a quiet walk along the boardwalk and up the steps to the path into Worsley. I took the route that runs beside the motorway and meets Worsley Road opposite the Court House where I got the 20 back to the Trafford Centre. I was glad of the walk even if it had been very quiet.

Worsley Woods