Jumbles

Jumbles Reservoir 

I was on the train heading back to Manchester. For some reason I had a look at the train departures at Bolton, no idea why as I was all for getting into Oxford Road and getting the next train back home for a bacon butty and a pot of tea. I got off at Bolton, got the Clitheroe train, which was packed, got off at Bromley Cross and headed off for a walk round Jumbles Country Park. Sometimes I'm just around for the ride, I'm not in the driving seat.

Ousel Nest Meadows 

Crossing the line at the station I walked down the road to Ousel Nest Meadows and followed the path to Jumbles. Blackbirds, song thrushes, wrens and robins dominated the songscape with backing vocals from dunnocks, woodpigeons and nuthatches and contributions from a pair of jays. Great tits, long-tailed tits and greenfinches quietly went about their business. A curlew flew by, heading for the hills as I crossed a clearing. Siskins quietly flitted about the tops of some big alders.

Ousel Nest Meadows 

Bradshaw Brook 

I got to the bridge where the reservoir outflow becomes Bradshaw Brook and looked in vain for dippers or wagtails. I crossed and climbed into Jumbles Country Park, my huffing and puffing up the gentle incline confirming that I need to get some hillwalking done to get legs and wind up to snuff before the hay fever season. The path splits here, the Kingfisher Trail following the brook down into Bolton, a walk for another day, and the other doing a circuit round Jumbles Reservoir and back to the road to the station. I had a walk round the reservoir.

Jumbles Country Park 

Blue tits, great tits, coal tits, chiffchaffs and goldcrests joined the songscape in the trees round the reservoir, though they were hard work to spot despite most of the trees still only being in bud. 

Jumbles Reservoir 

It was quiet on the reservoir. A couple of lesser black-backs loafed on buoys. Pairs of Canada geese and a single great crested grebe cruised about and mallards hugged the banks. The sun poked out properly and it was all very picturesque. 

Jumbles Reservoir 

Jumbles Reservoir 

The trains back to Bolton are every half hour. I got to the end of Grange Road, with its very busy rookery, and checked the trains. I'd have five minutes to wait for the train connecting with the airport train that connects easily with the last train home for an hour and a half. The day ended with the habitués of Oxford Road Station seeing an old man hurtle between platforms four and five and dive onto the train just before the whistle blew.