Local patch

Partially-leucistic carrion crow

Had an hour's stroll round the local patch in the wind and rain. Nearly all the small birds were keeping their heads down.

Out on the park field there were a couple of magpies and three carrion crows. One of the crows was unusual, with white greater wing coverts and white streaking in the primaries. Crows with white in their primaries aren't unusual — usually it's due to a dietary deficiency (something to do with lack of animal proteins). The pure white coverts are another thing again, I'm assuming this is partial leucism.

A little further on there was a flock of twelve mistle thrushes on the football pitch. They're a week or so earlier than usual but then again everything autumnal feels a bit early this year.

The old cornfields were astonishingly quiet. A flock of black-headed gulls overhead made up the numbers so it wasn't entirely barren. I can't remember the last time I didn't hear or see a goldfinch on here before.

Barton Clough

I gave it up and wandered off for St. Mowden's Road. There was a notice there: "Exciting new development opportunity." We can't have nice things, it's got to be either built on, fenced off or mown to death. If you can't monetise brambles and goldenrods what's the point of them? A pair of goldfinches flew overhead towards the canal. They've probably seen this coming.

• Black-headed Gull 40 overhead
• Carrion Crow 4 
• Common Gull 1 overhead
• Feral Pigeon 10 overhead
• Goldfinch 2 
• Great Tit 2 
• Herring Gull 2 overhead
• House Sparrow 1 
• Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 overhead
• Long-tailed Tit 1 
• Magpie 11 
• Mistle Thrush 12
• Song Thrush 1 
• Woodpigeon 9 
• Wren 1