Before heading off on a walk to Bolton I checked on the pair of Oystercatchers at Birtenshaw School. Very active and noisy as usual. I also had a Stock Dove calling from the old school building woodland & a Lesser Black-backed Gull flying low from the school as I was heading there.
Birds along the railway line between Birtenshaw & Canon Slade School included a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a couple of Pheasants, a Nuthatch, a few Greenfinches, and 2 Chiffchaffs.
Holts Fold late morning :- c200 Black-headed Gulls. I had already counted 178 checking for any unusual gulls when another 20+ flew across from another field behind the farm. A Buzzard flew over being mobbed by a couple of Carrion Crows. A Swallow flew through and across the golf course. As it flew away over the golf course I noticed 4 Lapwings also in flight, heading towards Egerton. 5 Pied Wagtails around the farm. 1 Fieldfare on the horse field. A Mistle Thrush in the same area.
Also had a pair of Nuthatches at the top of Hospital Road & a pair of Long-tailed Tits at Last Drop Village.
I checked the village schools for returning Oystercatchers around 7.30am but had no luck. Not long after 10am I did manage to find one on a field between Holts Fold Farm & Chapeltown Road.
Fairly quiet around a windy Holts Fold . 2 Pied Wagtails, 1 Skylark, & 1 Meadow Pipit, the only small birds on the fields.
The Harwood Jackdaw flock are based, I think, around the Harwood quarry at Brookfold Lane. Their numbers are down but I am pleased to hear that the BC birds are unaffected.
Belated congratulations on the Firecrest at Bradshaw. I went to look soon after your report and saw a good number of Goldcrests but not the Firecrest. I live in hope that I shall see one eventually.
I had about 120 Jackdaws over my house at dusk about a week ago, heading towards the bottom end of Bromley Cross. Maybe they continue to Bradshaw or Harwood. Jackdaws at dawn seem to be coming up from the bottom end of Bromley Cross so maybe we are talking about the same birds as you mention, as I have wondered where they roost at night.
During the day they do gather mainly around the Smith Lane / Cox Green Quarry area, but the numbers do not seem to have dropped around here during the day.
I understand from a neighbour, in Harwood, that a substantial number of birds from the Harwood Jackdaw population have recently been shot. There are certainly fewer birds seen each evening en route to the roosting site. The culprit is said to be a professional landscaper/gardener who is presumably culling the birds under a licence that can be given to landowners to prevent crop damage or other nuisance.
Do you know if the Bromley Cross or Egerton populations have been affected?
The populations in all three areas have, I think, increased very substantially over recent years but what damage they may do is not obvious.
2 afternoon visits to Holts Fold/Last Drop area, before & after a mooch down to Jumbles. Quite breezy so not much small stuff showing. Birds included :- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtails, 4 Mistle Thrushes, 1 Nuthatch, 3 Goldfinches, 1 Siskin.
Around Tong Clough this morning I found 3 Goldcrests amongst the usual stuff.
Much bigger puddles than usual in Tong Clough but a Moorhen running about in the woodland took me by surprise. Obviously one of the usual birds from "frying pan" lodge which must have wandered across the road & into the woods.
A pair of Nuthatches this morning were gathering moss from a tree trunk by the footpath at Holker Meadows whilst being surrounded by a flock of Long-tailed Tits.
Not many gulls at Turton High School this afternoon. A dozen Black-headed Gulls & a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. One of the latter had black plumage resembling Great Black-backed Gull, but a closer look revealed yellow legs.
After a short trip to Jumbles I headed up to Holts Fold Farm from the King Bill car park. Lots of birds on the fields made up of 9 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Blackbirds, 30+ Redwings, 3 Fieldfares, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 13 Jackdaws, 8 Magpies, & about 170 Starlings.
I counted these just in time as at the farm they were soon calling for & herding up sheep, so these birds were soon made to move on. However this was a blessing in disguise as smaller birds were put up and congregated near the farm. My count would not have been so high without this help. 21 Pied Wagtails, & a mixed flock of c10 Meadow Pipits & 10+ Goldfinches.
Mostly the usual stuff after all these sightings but I did have a male Goosander & a few low flying Herring Gulls passing over.
Eventually I made my way to Windy Harbour Lane where I saw 60+ Redwings (ones seen over Jumbles probably) & a Mistle Thrush land in a tree there.
Mid-morning mooch in the rain around Eagley Junior School / Turton High School.
50+ Black-headed Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 10 Common Gulls, Mixed flock of Chaffinches, Greenfinches, & Goldfinches. Also the pair of Bullfinch moving around. 14 Blackbirds, 5 Redwings, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Pied Wagtails & other usual species also around.
With wind keeping birds quiet in open country and Jumbles being very busy it seemed a better idea to check the more sheltered areas around the village.
Windy around Holts Fold but I did manage to find a Fieldfare with a couple of Mistle Thrushes.
Eagley Junior School / Turton High School :- 35 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 3 Common Gulls, 40+ Feral Pigeons, 1 Collared Dove, 7 Woodpigeons, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Dunnock, 3 Robins, 12 Blackbirds, 2 Redwings, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Great Tits, 4 Blue Tits, 2 Nuthatches, 8 Magpies, 10 Jackdaws, 4 Carrion Crows, 20+ Starlings, 20+ House Sparrows, 1 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinches, 11 Goldfinches, pair of Bullfinches.
Tong Clough :- I checked through the finch flock, some of which preferred conifers making it difficult for an exact count with some hidden away. Estimated numbers were 20+ Chaffinches, 10+ Greenfinches, 25+ Goldfinches, 2-5 Siskins, 2 Bullfinches. Other birds in this small clough were 2 Collared Doves, 15 Woodpigeons, 8 Blackbirds, 1 Goldcrest, 1 flock of Long-tailed Tits, 2 Coal Tits, 4 Great Tits, 7 Blue Tits, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Jays, 8 Magpies, 2 Carrion Crows, 20+ Starlings.
Lunchtime mooch around Tong Clough checking everything. Sparrowhawk soaring around above the clough not long after 8 Magpies had chased after something, possibly this bird. 12 Woodpigeons, 6 Collared Doves. a flock of feral Pigeons flew over, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Dunnocks, 4 Robins, 14 Blackbirds, 1 Goldcrest, A few Coal Tits, Great Tits, & Blue Tits, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Jays, 20+ Starlings, 20+ Chaffinches, a few Greenfinches, 20+ Goldfinches, 4 Bullfinches.
Failed to find Brambling when searching through the above finches, but on my afternoon dog walk I finally got my first one here this winter. Also a few Siskins heard as I watched it.
Late morning at Holts Fold Farm :- 5 Pied Wagtails & at least half a dozen Meadow Pipits. I was counting the pipits when something put everything up which included 60+ Goldfinches behind the farm. I also had 17 Goldfinches at the top of Windy Harbour Lane & another 20+ by the entrance to Last Drop. 120+ Starlings & 10 Black-headed Gulls on fields between the farm & Chapeltown Road.
A Sparrowhawk by the golf course behind Last Drop was probably what put up all the birds at the farm earlier.
Holts Fold late morning. After the fine spell on Jumbles I was back in low cloud and that horrible fine drizzle with the wind picking up. So not much to report.
3 Meadow Pipits dropped onto the horse field. The young farm dog was having fun as usual running around with the horses and between them they put up 4 more Meadow Pipits.
A small flock of Goldfinches had a couple of Chaffinches with them. A Pied Wagtail on the farm roof. Lots of Black-headed Gulls & Starlings but not much else.
Some of this morning's sightings around the village :-
A Pied Wagtail on the roof of Hospital Road electricity sub-station.
Flock of Long-tailed Tits to add to yesterday's report at Eagley Junior School.
Normally only get Rooks flying over Bromley Cross so one calling in a tree above my head by Holkar Meadows was a surprise.
Windy up at Holts Fold so not much about. A Bullfinch with a couple of Goldfinches the best I could do at the farm. A Skylark flying over was unexpected at this time of year. 80+ Starlings around the pylon at the bottom of farm fields.
Still no sign of any Bramblings in the mixed finch flock at Tong Clough, just the usual Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Siskins. Usual garden species present + a Song Thrush.
Usual finch flock, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches. As I was checking through them 40+ Siskins passed through the clough. 1 Treecreeper. After 4 on Jumbles earlier it seems like I could not go wrong looking for them today. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Pied Wagtail 2 Mistle Thrushes + a few Blackbirds 1 Jay + the usual common garden birds
Mid morning & lunch time visits to Turton High School / Eagley Junior School area either side of a drenching at Jumbles (very few birds showing there on the reservoir in the strong wind) 2 Sparrowhawks (a female chasing Blackbirds & a male being chased by Crows 80+ Black-headed Gulls, 3 Black-headed Gulls, 3 Common Gulls, 2 Woodpigeons, 1 Wren, 2 Robins, 9 Blackbirds, 7 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Great Tits, 3 Blue Tits, 8 Magpies, 2 Jackdaws, 6 Carrion Crows, 70+ Starlings, numerous House Sparrows in gardens by the playing fields, 1 Chaffinch, 1 Greenfinch, 2 Goldfinches, pair of Bullfinches.
Had a walk up to Holts Fold where it was blowing a gale :- Hardly any small birds so had to settle for 28 Black-headed Gulls, 15 Woodpigeons, and c120 Starlings.
Tong Fold this afternoon :- Great Spotted Woodpecker with the usual finch species + a flock of Long-tailed Tits.
Good mixed flock of finches in Tong Clough this afternoon (Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, & Bullfinches). Surprisingly no Siskins as I normally see them in this area, but I did have a Nuthatch with the flock.
7.50am to 8.30am & 11am to noon around Last Drop/Holts Fold/top of Hospital Road. Flock of 59 Black-headed Gulls flying over + a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls 12 Woodpigeons 3 Feral Pigeons 2 Meadow Pipits on first visit & 20+ mixed with Goldfinches on later visit 5 Pied Wagtails 2 Wrens 2 Dunnocks 8 Robins 6 Blackbirds 1 Fieldfare 1 Goldcrest Flock of 8 Long-tailed Tits 4 Blue Tits 2 Nuthatches 22 Magpies 1 Jay 11 Jackdaws 9 Carrion Crows 15 Starlings 10+ House Sparrows 50+ Chaffinches on early visit included 40+ on horse field mixed with a few Greenfinches & Goldfinches 6-10 Greenfinches 15+ Goldfinches
On dog walk after lunch I had a Fieldfare & 2 Jays by the health centre on Darwen Road
Whilst cleaning my pond of dead leaves this afternoon a flock of Long-tailed Tits passed through my garden
Not much around the golf course this morning but I did watch a flock of 50+ Redwings and a couple of Fieldfares flying over heading south, which took them over this area.
I have spoke with one of the farm helpers on a few occasions about Sparrowhawks and the farm racing pigeons, nothing nasty just general discussion. Late morning as we chatted about birds in general, right on cue a female Sparrowhawk flew past us into the farmyard.
Goldcrests still in conifers by the golf course behind Last Drop, and the usual Meadow Pipits & Pied Wagtails around.
7.50am to 8.40am around Last Drop/Holts Fold/top end of Hospital Road. 13 Black-headed Gulls on a Last Drop roof 10 Lapwings flying over 21 Woodpigeons included 18 flying over in two flocks 3 Collared Doves 4 Feral Pigeons 7 Meadow Pipits 7 Pied Wagtails 4 Wrens 2 Dunnocks 7 Robins 10 Blackbirds 1 Redwing 1 Song Thrush Flock of 4 Goldcrests + 1 other 1 Coal Tit 1 Blue Tit 5 Starlings 10+ House Sparrows 8 Chaffinches 4 Greenfinches 12 Goldfinches 1 Siskin 1 Bullfinch
Later in the morning (10.55am) 2 Ravens flew up from Jumbles. They flew quite low over the farm and Last Drop before veering right towards Egerton
7.30am at Turton High School :- 68 Black-headed Gulls, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 2 Common Gulls.
1,15pm at Holts Fold :- 100+ Starlings on wires. A small mixed flock of Meadow Pipits, Pied Wagtails, Chaffinches, & Goldfinches amongst the thistles on the horse fleld .
Redwings this morning. Numerous single figure flocks + a flock of 40+ flying from Last Drop/Holts Fold onto Turton Golf Course. Also in this area I had 7 Pied Wagtails, 4 Meadow Pipits, + a Grey Heron flying off the nearby golf course pond. A flock of Long-tailed Tits by Last Drop entrance on Hospital Road. A male Sparrowhawk came out of a garden and flew along Windy Harbour Lane.