A hobby was hunting over my garden mid-morning. Made off after a swift, which are in good number at the moment (c30 seen yesterday evening in a feeding flock).

Late visit BTO breeding bird survey today was strikingly quiet, though, what with a buzzard at the golf course and a distant willow warbler, the species total for the two visits reached 38, which is as good as it's been since 2017 (which hit 44). Still, haven't encountered a swift, house martin or even a gull for a few years now and never yet one of the parakeets that have been slowly edging North over the village (let alone a hobby, though apparently my predecessor in the square did encounter one in 1997)

5:35 pm. I had just been to nosey at a house fire near Sunfield. As I turned to go home, the starlings and pigeons took to the air in panic. Before I could look round, a hobby barrelled in over my head from behind at about 1½ x rooftop height. Just before disappearing, it folded its wings in and banked sharply downwards somewhere over the railway line at Quarry Rd. Some local action at last.

First swift just seen going north from my bedroon window. At least a good end to a poor day's birding.

The tribe of redwings numbering 80-85, which has frequented the general area throughout the Winter, was seen at Hilltop this afternoon. I wonder for how many more days?

A hobby sailed around Hilltop for 4-5 minutes at 3:10 pm. It was circling, gaining height. This was explained when it dropped the remains of whatever it had been eating on the wing. It then began to move swiftly SE, but soon spotted another prey item, and swooped on that. I presume they were both large insects.

A garden warbler in full, wonderful song on the golf course former practice area this afternoon. Easily outdid blackcaps, chiffchaff, willow warbler, goldfinches, stock dove for tune. Will have to watch out for the jays though!

First swift in Sunfield's sky this year when one flew over my garden this morning. 

Two same-size sparrowhawks were sparring in a not too nasty way (some calling and mock attacks) over Sunfield this afternoon. Must be where two territories overlap. 2 chiffchaffs heard around Hilltop, 2 buzzards over with a raven joining them at one point. Still not quite what I'd expect on a fairly bright, warmish Spring p.m.

A chiffchaff was in Heald Wood at the Woodley end this afternoon. Also around Hilltop; several song thrushes in song, and pairs of bullfinch and stock dove. Earlier on, 2 ring-necked parakeets flew NE close to Sunfield estate.

A couple of signs of Spring this afternoon around Hilltop. FIrstly, a song thrush flew past me carrying nesting material into a dense patch of ivy, and another was singing on the other side of the hill. A little further on, 2 pairs of great spotted woodpecker were going head-to-head at the boundary of their prospective territories. It was fascinating to watch the two males do the sky-pointing pose at each other just a few meters apart. I don't think I've seen 4 adult woodpeckers at the same time too often before.

2 ravens over Sunfield estate (seen & heard from Hilltop) at dusk, going in a NE direction, which is not usual.

Nice to be a small part of the redwing influx this afternoon. Roughly 420 were in many flocks (mostly 20-40 in each) over Hilltop in c90 minutes, most of these between 4:10 - 4:40. I'm fairly sure there was a small flock of c10 fieldfare too. Most headed south, but a few dropped down into the hedgerows nearby. 

Hobby drifted around Hilltop at 4:30 p.m. before going behind trees towards Woodley.

A hobby - pursued by about a dozen jackdaws - flew through Sunfield estate at 10:40 a.m. It was about twice rooftop height, and c75m from my living room window from where I viewed it. I wonder if it accounts for the missing swifts as I haven't seen the 5 which have been in the area for 3-4 weeks for three days now. Fingers crossed it's a temporary thing.

Good to encounter both willow warbler and swallow this morning on BTO breeding bird survey, going down and up either side of Romiley golf course. However, the highlight for the square (not previously recorded) was a couple of siskins (contributing to a total of 31 species)