Christmas

Barton Clough 

I needed a walk today to get the last minute shopping knots out of muscles. I was just about to head out mid-morning when I noticed the garden was unusually full of birds. Both troupes of spadgers were in, the males running the range of cheek colours from gingery beige through sands and greys to the last of the silver-white patriarchs. The blue tits and one of the coal tits nipped in and out at the feeders as best they could while a family of long-tailed tits did a lightning raid on the fat feeders by the rowan tree. A quick glance at the sky from the front door showed me the reason: a filthy black cloud was heading our way at a rate of knots and they were getting some scoff in before the rain hit.

• Blackbird 1
• Blue tit 2
• Coal tit 1
• Collared dove 1
• Dunnock 1
• Herring gull 1 overhead
• House sparrow 22
• Long-tailed tit 3
• Magpie 1
• Rook 1
• Starling 1
• Wren 1

The rain suited the gulls on the school playing field and a few more black-headed gulls flew in to join in with the worm-dancing.

• Black-headed gull 36
• Carrion crow 1
• Common gull 1
• Herring gull 6
• House sparrow 2
• Jackdaw 3
• Lesser black-back 1
• Magpie 8
• Rook 3
• Starling 1 

It became a pleasant sunny lunchtime so I had a quick stroll around the local patch before heading off for a turkey dinner. The park was relatively quiet save for robins and magpies but there was plenty about in the old cornfields.

• Black-headed gull 5
• Blackbird 4
• Blue tit 3
• Bullfinch 1
• Carrion crow 3
• Chaffinch 1
• Feral pigeon 4
• Goldfinch 9
• Great tit 4
• Herring gull 3
• House sparrow 2
• Lesser black-back 2
• Long-tailed tit 1
• Magpie 21
• Redwing 10
• Robin 9
• Song thrush 1
• Starling 2
• Woodpigeon 5
• Wren 1

Lostock Park