Local patch

Taking advantage of the sunshine to have a stroll round the local patch and get a bit of fresh air.

Barton Clough

An extremely quiet hour's walk, a dozen woodpigeons, eleven magpies and four goldfinches provided the crowd scenes.

A calling buzzard drifted overhead. I'm not sure it's the return of the old regular buzzard: this individual looks a lot browner underneath and with paler, more contrasting flight feathers to the underwing.

Buzzard

The old "regular" buzzard, February 2019

There's a long line of shrubs and trees along the side of the old freight railway track separating it from the industrial estate. These include hazels, Buddleias, Pyracanthus bushes and a stand of oleasters, providing cover and berries for birds during the Winter. The oleaster flowers are tiny and smell like that old furniture polish that had carnation oil as one of the ingredients, delicious from a distance but cloying en masse close to.

Oleaster berries

The magpies thought I was singing to them so I bought a bottle of Covonia on the way home.