Most swifts have seen all year. 

Heading south. 

Yesterday afternoon:

Red kite hunting around the freshly cut fields up Nangreaves. 

(Info and photo from Gary Taylor )

Two grey wagtails and a dipper on the Irwell in Stubbins, then a lovely chorus of song thrushes, robins, blackbirds and wrens along the lines towards Irwell Vale. 

Single Raven over my garden this afternoon.

Nice early male Wheatear photographed up Nangreaves this morning by Gary Taylor 

Pleasant walk in Nuttall Park, very quiet but Kingfisher, Song thrush, Grey wagtail.

3 House Martin, going south, sightings this year have been few and far between 

While out in my garden watching the nightly movement of bats, 2 Raven flew over at 21.50, half an hour after sunset. 

Watching regular movement of Swifts, 930 - 1100 all flying directly south. Sad its the most I have seen all year.

An interesting record of 2 juvenile Siskin on my feeders this afternoon. It looked like they could be locally bred birds, but I am not aware of any breeding locations in the vicinity! Maybe I need to look a little harder! 

2 Lesser Redpoll in my garden this morning, a garden tick!

An interesting walk through the centre and Nuttall Park this morning with:

Pair Sparrowhawk and 1 Kestrel.

My first record of Coot!!!

My first, non singing, Chiffchaff of the year and 1 singing Goldcrest.

Dipper and a pair of Grey Wagtail.

1 Raven over the centre this morning.

In an hour or so around Ramsbottom centre and Nuttall Park this morning:

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Small group of Redwing and 2 Song Thrush singing.

Dipper and 2 Grey Wagtail. 

4 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel and 2 Raven over my house this afternoon.

Dipper, 2 Grey Wagtail and 1 Oystercatcher on the Irwell this afternoon.

The cold spring seems to have delayed the common insectivorous birds this spring. My first local Swifts of the year yesterday with 6 over Nuttall Lane, and 4 House Martin in the Hazelhurst area. Today my first Sand Martin and Swallow were noted over the River Irwell.

Garden tick this morning in the form of 2 Stock Dove!

Two buzzards giving a display over my  house at 1255.

Dipper and 3 Goosander on the Irwell this morning. Also 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Treecreeper and 6 Nuthatch in the vicinity.

This bird was spotted yesterday in the fields opposite Holcombe Tennis club on Longsight Road, next to the Memorial Garden.

Photo was taken by my daughter on her mobile phone and is not a hoax..

It looks like a red-breasted goose which has got lost.

2 Goosander and 2 Dipper on the River Irwell this morning on my return from the dentist!

Wood Warbler in Grants Wood was an annual occurrence up until 2010 when they ceased to appear. This year a singing male was present for 10 days towards the end of the Lockdown period and could be heard singing from the back yards on Coulthurst St if you listened for it.    

Squirrels had taken over all the available local boxes this year so a pair of Tawny Owl returned the favour and used a Drey in a Beech tree to nest. The single chick made the 25ft leap of faith last night but managed to find it safely up a nearby tree this morning. 

Garden Warbler are present in 5 locations around Ramsbottom this year but getting a photo of one is a different story. 

145pm,six buzzards circling above my house,5 drifted nw ,1 drifted ne.

2 singing whitethroats above Hill End farm moorbottom road

My first local returning swifts this afternoon with 3 birds over the garden. Also 1 House Martin and 1 Sparrowhawk.

1 Raven high over the centre of Ramsbottom at 12.30 today.

One of the local crows did me a favour this afternoon while out gardening. It made a bee line for something, calling loudly, and directed my attention to a Buzzard, followed by a second bird soaring together over my house. Better still and higher up in the same thermal was a Peregrine! I watched it for a good while circling higher and higher before it headed off north. Also 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Grey Heron a little later. 

Ring Ouzel and 4 Wheatear on the south flank of Fletcher Bank first thing this morning . 

2 Swallows and a pair of Grey Wagtails by The Fisherman's Retreat.

Oystercatcher over my garden this morning.

Green Woodpecker still.present spending most of its time towards Lower Dickfield .. Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff all returned yesterday to Grants Woods..

Male Goosander over my Ramsbottom garden this morning.

Green Woodpecker in Grants Woods this morning.  2 pairs of Great Spotted Woodpecker also present. 

Walked one of my local BBS routes this morning .

Greylag Goose high over Ramsbottom heading north up Rossendale Valley and 2 Wheatear on the lower boulder fields of Fecit Hill ( Lancs)

2 Goosander on the pond half way up Carr Street this morning.

Mediterranean Gull  (White colour ringed )  amongst a large group of mixed gulls below Park Farm on Manchester Road this afternoon. All departed west at 1400

Single Siskin in with a flock of c40 Goldfinch this morning. Also 1 Treecreeper.

Back on the school run today! In the cemetery, 2 Treecreeper and a single Lesser Redpoll among a flock of 25 Goldfinch. Also what sounded like a small flock of Pink-footed Geese flew over unseen.

First Redwings of this Autumn, six along the Irwell between Ramsbottom and Stubbins yesterday afternoon.

Info from PaulG.

Regards Brian.

Dipper and Grey Wagtail in Nuttall Park this morning.

15 Goosander flew over to the South West on my way up to Holcombe Moor this morning. Also 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 3 House Martin.

Sat on summit of Fecit Hill ( Lancs) looking over Ramsbottom this morning. 2 Hobby were around in the area until one departed south at height in the direction of Manchester City centre. 

2 Peregrine, 2 Kestrel, 2 Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk also up in the wind on the hillside over a 90 minute watch  

Highlights from a couple of hours in the garden yesterday afternoon, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and a garden tick in the form of a Curlew that flew over calling!

Peter very kindly gave me a spare Owl box to put in a friends garden 7 years ago but had no joy at all...... till this year .. 

Garden Warbler singing away in a back garden at the end of Bramworth Av the last few days. Willow Warbler and Whitethroat also in the adjacent woodland. 

2 Garden Warbler back in Grants Woods today, both above the allotments off Eccles Street. 

First returning Swift prospecting a nest site on Nuttall Lane at 20.40 this evening.

Single Lesser Redpoll over my Ramsbottom house at 12.10 today.