Cracking day for a walk in the woods to cool my very red sunburn was the middle of the afternoon not realy a good time to go birding especially with dog in tow.Very few birds about but manged great and blue tits.The odd Blackbird sending warning signals to all the other birds. Reached the stepswith very little happening birdwise but was rewarded when i finally reached the top next to keepers cottage.A Buzzard just took flight and was starting to circle the freshly mown field.I quickly put the dog on the leash well you never know! The Buzzard eventually glided off towards Westhoughton.Just by the farm the swallows were beginnin to gather on the telephone wire i counted at least a dozen they looked like they were saving their energy ready for the big flight south.Where the track splits just past the farm i spotted a lovely bright yellowhammer ,they look brighter still when the sun is shining it was the only bird about and its call could be heared over 2 fields.A little further and a group of chaffinch took flight with a sparrow hawk gliding behind them which proceeded to crash into the hawthorn bushes.Minutes later it took flight and headed off to the woods with something in its claws, may be going to feed young.