2 Swifts around the old police station near the top of Hough Lane as I set off this morning. Increased to 3 as I passed at lunchtime, & then all 3 were seen together over my garden all afternoon.
They had a look at this now empty building last year, but did not breed. Maybe they will breed there this year, especially as they (and House Martins) have been driven away from traditional breeding site along Queen's Avenue by idiots hanging supermarket bags out of their upstairs windows to deter them.

Oh for the good old days when they also nested on Stonesteads Way and just above my office window at Marklands Steelworks on Hardman's Lane.

Swifts also seen around Sharples Avenue as I headed for Smithills Woods this morning.

Bramblings still in Tong Clough this morning

A few Bramblings still in Tong Clough at lunchtime, up to half a dozen.

A wander with the dog through Tong Clough on Higher Ridings this morning.

A dozen Bramblings with Chaffinches, Greenfinches, & Goldfinches.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
6 Redwings
2 Mistle Thrushes
+ the usual commoner species

A Cormorant and a Grey Heron flew over

Another good start to the day around the top of Hospital Road/Last Drop/Holts Fold. 8am to 8.30am.

1 Kestrel
1 Black-headed Gull
2 Feral Pigeons
14 Woodpigeons
20+ Collared Doves
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Wren
6 Dunnocks
3 Robins
9 Blackbirds
50+ Fieldfares/Redwings mixed, mostly Fieldfares
2 Song Thrushes
2 Mistle Thrushes
2 Coal Tits
4 Blue Tits
4 Great Tits
2 Nuthatches
10 Magpies
Only 2 Jackdaws up here, but a flock of 100+ around Darwen Road
2 Carrion Crows
20+ Starlings
20+ House Sparrows
15 Chaffinches
2 Greenfinches
3 Goldfinches

A check of the gulls on the school playing fields at Turton High School this morning revealed 70+ Black-headed Gulls, 4 Common Gulls, & 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Other birds around Eagley Junior School/Turton High School/Chapeltown Road :-
5 Woodpigeons
1 Dunnock
2 Robins
7 Blackbirds
1 Song Thrush
A flock of Long-tailed Tits
2 Blue Tits
3 Magpies
6 Jackdaws
5 Carrion Crows
3 House Sparrows
1 Greenfinch
1 Goldfinch

Still about 40 Fieldfares at the top of Hospital Road, this time with about 20 Redwings & 36 Starlings (at least the latter species perched on a telegraph wire to make counting easy). The thrushes were very flighty on both morning & afternoon visits, some going back & forth to Turton Golf Course.

Other birds present :-
1 Kestrel (for once it actually crossed the border into GM)
2 Black-headed Gulls on the horse field
Feral Pigeons, Woodpigeons, Collared Doves, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Mistle Thrush, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Nuthatch, Magpies, Carrion Crows, House Sparrows, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches.

(7.45am) A Tawny Owl was calling from a garden on Chapeltown Road.

(10.10am) Turton High School/Eagley Junior School:- 50+ Black-headed Gulls, 3 Common Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull.

(10.20am to 10.55am) Top of Hospital Road/Holts Fold/Last Drop :-
1 Kestrel
1 Black-headed Gull
21 Feral Pigeons, 6 Woodpigeons in trees & 20+ flying over, 20+ Collared Doves
2 Meadow Pipits, 1 Pied Wagtail, 5 Robins
4 Blackbirds, 35+ Fieldfares with a few Redwings mixed in, 1 Mistle Thrush
Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, 2 Nuthatches, Magpies, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows
30+ Starlings
For a change I approached here along Windy Harbour Lane. I knew there were House Sparrows along here but I was surprised to find as many as 35. A few more were in the middle of The Last Drop Village.
4 Chaffinches, 9 Greenfinches, 2 Goldfinches.

10.15am to 10.50am. Last Drop/Holts Fold/top of Hospital Road.

1 Black-headed Gull
21 Feral Pigeons
8 Woodpigeons
30+ Collared Doves
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Pied Wagtails
3 Robins
4 Blackbirds
15 Fieldfares
1 Redwing
1 Mistle Thrush
4 Blue Tits
1 Nuthatch
4 Magpies
3 Jackdaws
11 Carrion Crows
20+ Starlings
10+ House Sparrows
2 Chaffinches
3 Greenfinches
5 Goldfinches

Same area as last time around Last Drop/Hospital Road. 8.35am to 9.15am.

1 Lesser Black-backed Gull flying over
2 Herring Gulls flying over
6 Feral Pigeons
7 Woodpigeons
25+ Collared Doves
1 Meadow Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Robin
3 Blackbirds
1 Redwing
8 Blue Tits
1 Great Tit
3 Magpies
1 Jackdaw
5 Carrion Crows
c45 Starlings
2 small flocks of House Sparrows
2 Chaffinches
6 Goldfinches

Kestrel as usual on wires just across the border

8.35am to 8.50am. Turton High School/Eagley Junior School.
50+ Black-headed Gulls
4 Common Gulls
5 Woodpigeons
1 Dunnock
3 Robins
7 Blackbirds
1 Fieldfare
3 Blue Tits
2 Great Tits
2 Nuthatches
1 Magpie
5 Jackdaws
2 Carrion Crows
25 Starlings
2 House Sparrows
1 Chaffinch
25 Goldfinches

11.40am. 28 Fieldfares flew from Saxby Avenue estate to Last Drop.

No dog walkers around the Turton High School & Eagley Junior School playing fields at 8.30am so I was able to check through the gulls without them being disturbed. 4 Common Gulls were my first here since February. Also 100+ Black-headed Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

A flock of 60+ Woodpigeons flew over
Also present :-
5 Woodpigeons, 23 Feral Pigeons, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Robins, 2 Blackbirds, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Jays, 5 Magpies, 1 Jackdaw, 5 Carrion Crows, 15 House Sparrows, 3 Goldfinches.

At 11.30am a Buzzard was soaring above The Last Drop Village, being mobbed by a Carrion Crow and two Jackdaws.

From the traffic lights at the bottom of Hospital Road I saw two very low Buzzards soaring around not far above the health centre (30 foot high at the most to start with). It looked like they had risen from in the valley. They worked their way over Hospital Road towards the golf course.
As I turned into Smithy Croft I saw another one soaring above my house.

During an insect search behind the Last Drop Village I finally got my first Crossbills of the year at Turton Golf Course. They flew from the trees by the boundary footpath (someone reported them here during the Greenish Warbler week) and onto the course. From where I was stood I could not see how many. Also heard a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from the middle of the village complex.

Around 8am this morning at Eagley Junior School / Turton High School

35 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
3 Common Gulls
11 Herring Gulls flying over
12 Feral Pigeons
1 Woodpigeon
2 Wrens
2 Dunnocks
4 Robins
6 Blackbirds
1 Song Thrush
1 Mistle Thrush
3 Blue Tits
1 Nuthatch
1 Magpie
1 Jackdaw
5 Carrion Crows
12 Starlings
House Sparrows singing throughout Toppings Estate
2 Chaffinches
8 Greenfinches

120+ Jacdaws and a couple of Siskins flying around as I went for a paper about 8am
A Mistle Thrush has been singing away for the last few days by the Health Centre
Late morning a Raven flew over. Seen from my garden
Early afternoon a Sparrowhawk was at St John's School

8.45am 40 9.15am around Last Drop and Holts Fold :-
1 Kestrel
13 Feral Pigeons
13 Woodpigeons
2 Pied Wagtails
2 Robins
1 Fieldfare
5 Mistle Thrushes
1 Blue Tit
1 Great Tit
1 Nuthatch
3 Starlings
2 House Sparrows
2 Jays
6 Magpies
5 Carrion Crows
22 Jackdaws
1 Chaffinch

Up to 40 Fieldfares flew over Toppings Estate just after 8am

2 Common Gulls and a Lesser Black-backed Gull with Black-headed Gulls at Turton High School. 2 Nuthatches at Eagley Junior School.

Around 8am this morning there were 16 Fieldfares between Hospital Road and Holts Fold. Soon after another 29 flew over.

At least 15 Meadow Pipits were in the same area.

At 8am as I was passing Eagley Junior School I was suddenly surrounded by Long-tailed Tits and their mates. I already had a Nuthatch just above my head on a tree, now I had a Treecreeper even nearer, a Goldcrest about the same distance, and Blue Tits, Great Tits, and a Coal Tit.

Another good selection of birds as I passed Eagley Junior School this morning, before the dog walkers & kids.

110 Black-headed Gulls
3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
4 Woodpigeons
1 Dunnock
1 Robin
5 Blackbirds
1 Goldcrest
10+ Long-tailed Tits
6 Blue Tits
1 Coal Tit
1 Nuthatch
1 Treecreeper
1 Jay
1 Magpie
3 Jackdaws
6 Carrion Crows
32 Starlings
Numerous House Sparrows
2 Goldfinches

7.20am to 7.45am. Last Drop/Holts Fold.

1 Black-headed Gull
3 Woodpigeons
1 Collared Dove
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
3 Pied Wagtails
18 Meadow Pipits
2 Wrens
1 Dunnock
1 Robin
2 Blackbirds
20+ Fieldfares, part of a larger flock over Turton Golf Course which splintered on passage.
A few Blue Tits & Great Tits
1 Nuthatch
2 Starlings
2 Jays
5 Magpies
8 Carrion Crows
3 Jackdaws
5 Chaffinches
1 Greenfinch
1 Goldfinch
1 Siskin

Returning home from today's walk I saw 100+ Jackdaws over the Co-op. I then noticed a Rook on the traffic lights there. It took no notice of anybody walking past as it devoured the contents of a takeaway bag. An unusual species in the village at any time. Only a handfull pass over each year, but this one is obviously an opportunist regarding food.

8am to 8.30am Last Drop/Holts Fold

6 Mallards on fields
1 Pheasant
4 Collared Doves
3 Pied Wagtails
25 Meadow Pipits
1 Swallow on wires. Most years I see late ones still at the farm
Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins
1 Blackbird
1 Chiffchaff
A few Blue Tits
2 Nuthatches
4 Carrion Crows
1 Jackdaw
1 Chaffinch
3 Greenfinches
1 Goldfinch
3 Siskins

8.20am at Holts Fold Farm near Last Drop.

Very misty with visibility sometimes down to 20 yards.

Only really visible birds were about 150 Swallows. I had counted to 120 with birds on the wires by the farmhouse when about 30 flew out from the scaffolding on the farm.