2 swallows were seen flying over Lower Watermeetings Farm yesterday by my brother and his wife.

A late evening wander, going upstream from the iron bridge had yielded only a mandarin and mallard standing adjacent in the river while trying to ignore one another and the fairly well grown mallard duckling which was investigating both of them. But getting just beyond the lower weir at about 10pm, flushed a big heavy egret with a very long neck from the river itself. Only seen very briefly, but lumbered off upstream and out of sight close to the near bank. Carried on, carefully scouring the river, up to the more modern weir, where paused to look around and failed to find anything, only, when moving on, to flush the Great egret again from a tree on the near bank. It carried on upstream towards Marple bridge, but didn't look like it was going far it probably went back into an unviewable tree before it got to anywhere within sight of Marple Bridge itself (from which only the plastic decoy heron on the other bank was visible through the, by that point fairly deep, gloom).

2 dippers on the river this afternoon - but absolutely nothing else

Nice to get a burst of dipper song to encourage us round the park run this morning. Brief views as it then flew South along the Goyt.

Wasn't going to mention this, but looking at other sites few were reported today. c60 House Martins drifted in over the park mid p.m. About half of these drifted back a bit later. Also 2 chiffchaffs at least. Bring on the winter visitors soon please, it's all a bit drab at the moment.

It was terribly quiet yesterday and quite depressing, but one thing raised the spirits a little. A dipper was seen towards the 'Marple Bridge'. It proceded to hunt under water which, from my elevated position, and with shallow water and no reflection, I was able to witness as it 'walked' on the river bed. Probably the first time I've seen this in the flesh.

9 brambling in a flock with a similar number of chaffinches, feeding under the beech on the edge of the football pitch nearest to the iron bridge (near the path to it). Two were very orangey individuals - worth seeing as much as waxwings to me. Speaking of which, what was near certainly 4 of those flew over towards Cherry Tree estate, Romiley (looked as if they landed). Also seen c20 stock doves on farmland viewable from Rollins Lane. Note the bramblings were being disturbed quite often, but always dropped back to earth quite quickly. Saturday might be a different matter as it will be busier.

Garden warbler this p.m. was a first for here after 25+ years. Otherwise fairly tame stuff.