Grey day

Starling pinching raisins

The Robins were in usual agressive mode

The Long-tailed Tit flock visited virtually every corner of the garden

Jackdaw swiping the peanuts

The usual covey of Grey Partridges

The local Feral Pigeon - there only ever seems to be one bird in the village

Pair of Collared Doves going for a walk

Coal Tit

Male Kestrel in Waterworks Lane

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Very grey morning with poor light and some rain. After brief visits to Waterworks Lane and HGF I decided to photograph birds in the garden through the conservatory window. Birds observed in the garden this morning:

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4 Grey Partridges

1 Brambling (male)

6 Chaffinches

11 Greenfinches

6 Goldfinches

1 Reed Bunting (male)

2 Blue Tits

3 Great Tits

2 Coal Tits

14 Long-tailed Tits

3 Robins

2 Dunnocks

4 Blackbirds

1 Feral Pigeon

2 Wood Pigeons

18 Collared Doves

2 Magpies

1 Rook

3 Jackdaws

2 Crows

2 House Sparrows

11 Starlings

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22 species in just over an hour though I suspect Karen will not be happy that the Magpies are building a nest. Last year, having built a nest in the same place, the female Magpie started virtually every morning at 5am by perching on the roof and begging for food. A very irritating noise. While watching from the conservatory 33 Pink-footed Geese flew very low over the house heading NW.

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The garden remained busy all day with most birds seen returning several times. The Collared Dove flock increased to 30 and the 23rd species of the day turned up in the form of a Mistle Thrush.

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At the Waterworks Lane feeding station this morning the birds were very flighty - they flew off several times, particularly when a shotgun was fired nearby. Birds seen were:

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3 Bramblings (male and 2 females - the male was different to the bird in the garden)

20+ Chaffinches

17 Tree Sparrows

2 House Sparrows

9 Yellowhammers

3 Reed Buntings

1 Grey Wagtail

2 male Song Thrushes were singing, one at the treatment works and one by the farm. A male Great Spotted Woodpecker was also in the trees by the farm.

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A male Kestrel posed for photos (pity the light was naff) and 2 Buzzards were present - one on the usual fenceline opposite the feeding station and one in a field off Highfield Lane. A flock of thrushes was also present at the latter location comprising 105 Fieldfares and 14 Redwings.

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At HGF there was nothing much new. The Linnet flock was flitting around the field to the south of the pool and numbered approx 55 birds. A Buzzard was with a large flock of corvids in a ploughed field behind Midhops farm.

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In Culcheth this afternoon a mixed flock of thrushes were feeding in the field opposite the primary school - 145+ Redwings and 95+ Fieldfares.