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)

2 Swallows flew low over Hilltop, nr Heald Wood going NW at 3:10 p.m.

A nice little assemblage of thrushes on Romiley common, with 11 blackbirds viewable at the same time, 4 song thrushes in the same group, and a redwing. The song thrushes were all of the continental type, darker and spottier than our own (like the one coming to my garden at present), so it's a fair bet that these were all migrant birds. Also saw a jay, for the first time in a while, and 4 greenfinches.

2 ravens just to the East of Sunfield flying south at dusk this evening. I presume they are heading towards Lyme Park, where my brother saw a large gathering a couple of weeks back (I think he said 30-40).

Staring into the afternoon bleakness from Hilltop did not bring much. A dozen or so locally bred swallows were almost constantly in view, and joined occasionally by 3 swifts. On my walk home, a fem/juv blackcap was raiding bramble berries from a hedgerow. Not usually a big deal, but it was the first blackcap I'd seen for weeks. I don't think they had a good breeding season, at least locally.

Watching from indoors for more warbler activity in the garden this p.m. when a prob juv. male sparrowhawk appeared from around a wall to my right, and plonked itself down on the ground. It looked about for around 20 seconds, but all the birds had shut up and dived into deep cover. It then left in the direction it had arrived.

Some familiar screaming had me scanning the skies over Sunfield Est at c9.oo a.m., and sure enough there were about 20 swifts, at height, meandering sounthwards: a poignant moment. More evidence of Summer's departure was the sight of 3 chiffchaffs in my garden doing the rounds with the tit flock.

After semi-distant views of an osprey at Audenshaw (to the West of the Reservoir, about half way to Manchester Centre, going North), I arrived home on Sunfield Estate, got out of my car, looked up, and there was another osprey!!! Much nearer/lower that the one seen earlier (this was c11.40 a.m.), it had attracted a squadron of 6 buzzards which were trying to move it on Northwards as it circled over Hilltop. That's the sort of luck you dream about (well, some of us do). 

A 'mega' patch first this afternoon. A Little Egret flew NE over Woodley as I watched from Hilltop, Romiley. This was certainly one of the reasons I stand staring out towards Manchester so often. Also 2 buzzards, sparrowhawk, kestrel, a drumming great spotted woodpecker, and 15+ redwings around the hill.

It was the turn of pink-footed geese to be on the move this morning. First sighting was just before 10 a.m. with 115 coming over Trafford/Salford from the west. Moments later I picked up a skein coming from the other direction (behind me), but further North, about 90 this time, whilst at the same time another bunch of 12 or so were moving South in between the other two skeins! When these had all cleared, another flock came in on the same flightpath as the first (a further 60) about 10 minutes afterwards. A nice piece of action in a short time. No redwings appeared to be genuinely on the move today, but 30+ were in the hedgerow bordering Sunfield estate. 

A quick whizz around Hilltop (to the north of Sunfield estate) this morning, and it was evident that redwings were on the move. There were about a dozen small flocks mostly coming off the 'flatlands' of Greater Manchester, moving E-NE, the greatest being about 45. Probably c170-180 in total seen. Also one swallow definitely going South.

A couple of small signs of Autumn today. Firstly, a jay was in my alder tree for the first time in many weeks. Later, a flock of 15 mistle thrushes was around Hilltop, but otherwise there was not much sign that migration was in full swing (or any kind of swing, actually). 

Curlew heard over garden five minutes ago.

A male sparrowhawk flew into the (Romiley) garden and perched in the alder tree just 15 meters from the house this evening. Cannot remember a 'non-Winter' visit ever having taken place before.