Rochdale

Peregrine 

When in Rochdale go and look for the Town Hall peregrines, and so I did. I looked in all the usual places on the clock tower but had no luck. "Is it on?" I was asked. "Can't see it," I replied. "It was flying about a few minutes ago."

I was taking a few photos of the Town Hall. I have a lot of rude things to say about Rochdale but the Town Hall is astonishingly good and this was the first chance I've had to take pictures of it now it's been spruced up and all the screens are out of the way. Just as I was taking a photo I noticed a bump where there shouldn't be one just below the clock. And found the peregrine.

Peregrine 

Peregrine 

A few pigeons and a couple of woodpigeons flitted about and sat on rooftops, as they do when peregrines are grounded. As usual most of the pigeons were over by the bus station. I checked the river as I walked back that way, just four Canada geese and a couple more pigeons having a drink. By the bus station the white farm geese had muscled the Canada geese out of the way and were having the picking of treats from passing children. A heron lurked in the background before moving over to the riverside and then flying upstream. As always this time of year here there were more lesser black-backs than black-headed gulls wheeling around the rooftops.

Grey heron