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.

Pair of Oystercatchers at Birtenshaw Farm around 8am. I watched them for a while before they headed towards Turton High School.

Not much at Holts Fold in the mist at 7.30am but returning home at 2.30pm I found 3 Wheatears together on a wall.

2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls with a Black-headed Gull on Last Drop field by Hospital Road at 7.20am.

Whilst checking 4 Fieldfares in the mist at Holts Fold about 25 Meadow Pipits flew past me quite low.

Curlew & Skylark at lunchtime.

9.35am to 10.25am around Last Drop & Holts Fold. Winter thrushes & snow on the distant hills. Is it really British summertime ?

3 Cormorants flying over
4 Mallards, 3 Black-headed Gulls,
13 Feral Pigeons, 40+ Woodpigeons,
2 Skylarks, 3 Meadow Pipits, 2 Pied Wagtails,
2 Wrens, 4 Dunnocks, 5 Robins,
7 Blackbirds, 2 Redwings at Last Drop Village & another one at Holts Fold with 14 Fieldfares, 1 Mistle Thrush,
1 Jay, 7 Magpies, 14 Jackdaws, 6 Carrion Crows,
30+ Starlings, 10+ House Sparrows,
3 Chaffinches, 2 Greenfinches, 5 Goldfinches, 1 Siskin, 2 Lesser Redpolls.

Pair of Oystercatchers at Birtenshaw School this morning

67 Black-headed Gulls & 1 Common Gull on Turton High School / Eagley Junior School playing fields

20+ Siskins at Eagley Junior School at 7.45am.

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.

Holts Fold at 7.45am.

11 Fieldfares & 20 Redwings
6 Meadow Pipits
1 Pied Wagtail
23 Starlings
4 Chaffinches
20+ Goldfinches

The "Jumbles" Greylag flew over with 3 Canada Geese heading for the reservoir after flying up from Bromley Cross

Hi George,

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.

A few birds unusual birds for the village flew over this morning.

Pair of Goosanders flew over Higher Ridings heading down Eagley Valley at 7.10am

4 Rooks flew over my house at 7.30am

30 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, & 6 Common Gulls at Turton High School/Eagley junior School at 10.30am

Another Lesser Black-backed Gull was on St John's School playing field. A Grey Heron flew over as I was there at 11.20am

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.

7 Redwings in Tong Clough this morning.

Two species to add to yesterday's list at Holts Fold, a Meadow Pipit & 5 Redwings at 8.20am.
Redwings up to 22 this afternoon.

Late morning around Hospital Road / Holts Fold / Last Drop Village area. No wind for a change so lots more about than of late.

3 Black-headed Gulls, 11 Feral Pigeons, 24 Woodpigeons, 1 Collared Dove, a flock of 12 Pied Wagtails, 3 Wrens, 6 Dunnocks (including a pair displaying), 6 Robins,
7 Blackbirds, 2 Song Thrushes, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Coal Tit, 4 Great Tits, 5 Blue Tits, 1 Treecreeper (amongst the conifers on the edge of the golf course behind Last Drop),
18 Magpies, 4 Jackdaws, 4 Carrion Crows, 50+ Starlings, 10+ House Sparrows, a flock of 20+ Chaffinches + a few individuals, 2 Greenfinches, 10+ Goldfinches, 1 Siskin,
2 Bullfinches.

A few interesting sightings on dog walk this afternoon.

The usual finches in Tong Clough (Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Siskins, & Bullfinches) but one Chaffinch was collecting small sticks.

I followed a Pied Wagtail up Blair Street from the pavement on Darwen Road.

As I got home a Kestrel flew along Ramwells Brow not much higher than the roof tops.

Very few birds of interest anywhere this morning and early afternoon.

The best I could do was 4 Redwings at Holts Fold & a Grey Wagtail in Tong Clough.

Holts Fold this afternoon.

7 Pied Wagtails
14 Redwings
1 Fieldfare
2 Mistle Thrushes
30+ Black-headed Gulls
50+ Starlings
5 Goldfinches
10 Magpies
9 Carrion Crows
4 Jackdaws

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.

Eagley Junior School / Turton High School this morning. Same species as my last visit, including the 2 Redwings with 16 Blackbirds.

A lot more finches this time :-
10+ Chaffinches, 15+ Greenfinches, 15 Goldfinches, & the pair of Bullfinches.

40+ Black-headed Gulls (one with head in full summer plumage, possibly Jumbles bird), 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 4 Common Gulls.

A Nuthatch the best of the rest.

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.

Tawny Owl heard calling from Higher Ridings as I headed for paper shop at 7.30am.

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.

Tong Clough early afternoon.

Usual finch flock, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Siskins, & Bullfinches.
A couple of Goldcrests & Redwings amongst them.

On my way home I had another half a dozen Siskins as they flew over me into the grounds of St John's School.

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.

Sparrowhawk flew across Darwen Road near Clay Street this morning.

Tong Clough :-
Woodpigeons, Collared Doves, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wrens, Robins, lots of Blackbirds, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, 1 Nuthatch, Magpies, Carrion Crows, Starlings, 20+ Chaffinches, 25+ Goldfinches, a few Greenfinches & Siskins, & a pair of Bullfinches. Numerous Jackdaws flying over.

On my way out I counted 8 Long-tailed Tits in a neighbour's tree and then watched them fly into my garden.

Usual daytime flock of c40 Starlings in a tree at St John's School, and the usual House Sparrows in school hedgerows.

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.

3 Goldcrests in a flock of Blue Tits at the entrance to Eagley Junior School got me checking everything else for a full list of the area.

1 Grey Heron on a fenced off muddy field
95 Black-headed Gulls
2 Common Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
50 Feral Pigeons
3 Woodpigeons
1 Wren
2 Robins
3 Dunnocks
17 Blackbirds
3 Goldcrests
8 Blue Tits
2 Great Tits
2 Jays
12 Magpies
7 Jackdaws
4 Carrion Crows
40+ Starlings
Numerous House Sparrows in private gardens
10+ Chaffinches
10+ Greenfinches
2 Goldfinches

Dog walk through Tong Clough this afternoon.

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

Holts Fold/Last Drop this morning. First light & late morning visits, before and after golf course wander.

7 Black-headed Gulls
12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying over
1 Pheasant
3 Woodpigeons
2 Meadow Pipits
4 Pied Wagtails
3 Wrens
1 Dunnock
5 Robins
8 Blackbirds
16 Fieldfares
2 Mistle Thrushes
10+ Long-tailed Tits
2 Great Tits
5 Blue Tits
2 Nuthatches
8 Magpies
5 Carrion Crows
6 Starlings
10+ House Sparrows
10 Chaffinches
4 Greenfinches
15 Goldfinches

10.25am to 11.15am. A mixed flock of finches & sparrows on the path to Eagley Junior School tempted me to check all the playing field areas.

35 Black-headed Gulls
4 Common Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
46 Feral Pigeons
8 Woodpigeons
3 Collared Doves
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Wren
3 Dunnocks
2 Robins
18 Blackbirds
1 Song Thrush
2 Great Tits
2 Blue Tits
2 Jays
8 Magpies
6 Carrion Crows
10 Jackdaws
30+ House Sparrows
Only 1 Starling
20+ Chaffinches
10+ Greenfinches
1 Goldfinch

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.

80+ Fieldfares flying over the village at 11.15am heading SW.

Plenty of birds around Turton High School/Eagley Junior School this morning.

70+ Black-headed Gulls
7 Common Gulls
6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
31 Feral Pigeons
4 Woodpigeons
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Wren
2 Dunnocks
3 Robins
15 Blackbirds
30+ Fieldfares
2 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
Flock of Long-tailed Tits
5 Blue Tits
3 Jays
10 Magpies
8 Carrion Crows
A few Jackdaws flying over
150+ Starlings
Numerous House Sparrows in gardens
2 Chaffinches
6 Greenfinches
1 Goldfinch

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

Holts Fold/Last Drop.

A Kestrel on the wires early morning.

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

Mixed flock at Holts Fold early afternoon made up of 25+ Goldfinches, 6 Chaffinches, 7 Pied Wagtails, & a Meadow Pipit.

100+ Jackdaws seen flying over the village a couple of times this afternoon.

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
.

2 Bullfinches early morning at Last Drop Village.

Flock of 5 Goldcrests in conifers by the golf course behind Last Drop Village late morning.

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.