Local patch

Robin, Barton Clough

I decided on another lazy day today despite (perhaps because of) its being another lovely sunny day.

The small birds were being generally coy today, even the sparrows went about feeding quietly after the early morning exuberance at breakfast.

• Blue tit 2
• Collared Dove 2
• Goldfinch 2
• Great Tit 1
• House Sparrow 10
• Jackdaw 2
• Magpie 2
• Robin 1
• Rook 1
• Starling 2
• Woodpigeon 3

I had an hour's wander round the local patch. The park was fairly quiet, the tidying up efforts have removed a lot of cover.

There was more about on the old cornfield. The first of the chiffchaffs had arrived, singing from the poplars by the school. I thought I heard a reply from over by the warehouses but couldn't confirm it.

Barton Clough

I had a chat with one of the dog walkers who'd asked me if I'd seen anything unusual. He was pleased to hear the chiffchaffs have started returning and I told him to keep an eye out for the whitethroats when they arrive in a couple of weeks. He also mentioned he'd once seen the pink magpie Max's Dad told me about last Summer. I never did get to the bottom of that mystery.

• Blackbird 4
• Blue Tit 7
• Buzzard 1
• Carrion Crow 2
• Chaffinch 1
• Chiffchaff 1
• Dunnock 3
• Feral Pigeon 13 overhead
• Goldfinch 7
• Great Tit 2
• Greenfinch 5
• Herring Gull 1 overhead
• House Sparrow 7
• Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 overhead
• Long-tailed Tit 1
• Magpie 11
• Robin 9
• Woodpigeon 13
• Wren 2