Thursday 28th and Friday 29th 16 degrees sunny/showers.

The four common Tits all seem to have good numbers, two feeding flocks watched both days, numbers were around 30 and included all four species. one party also had a Nuthatch, young Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Goldcrest [first seen here for some time]

Except for Chaffinch, which appear to have had a good breeding season, finches were thin on the ground, there were four Goldfinch in Irwell Vale, no Greenfinch were seen but more concerning was the lack of Bullfinch which are usually well represented here. I will start the winter feeding stations towards the end of September, we might then get a better picture of the finch situation. 

The two colonies of House Sparrows have both evidence of young birds but are still restricted to the buildings and gardens around Irwell Vale and Stubbins even though there is good habitat further afield.

We had two successful nest sites for Green Woodpecker this year, only one Male adult was seen in the past two days this was at a common spot in a garden in Lumb.

Several Nuthatch and Treecreeper nest sites were watched this summer and all produced young, over the last two days I estimate seeing seven Nuthatch and three Treecreeper. The Nuthatches were all individuals the Treecreepers were an individual and a pair feeding together.

Robin, Blackbird and Wren numbers are excellent, there are still young Robins around and every patch of undergrowth seems to have a Wren family feeding and still singing.

Dunnocks are never found in good numbers, they are always in the same place and always in a pair.

Now all the silage fields have been cut and baled the corvids have moved in in large numbers, Rooks, Jackdaw are the commonest, not that many Carrion Crows and quite a few more Magpies than normal. There were two local rookeries one in Shuttleworh which numbered around 35 nests and one on the Ogden at the back of Irwell Vale which was difficult to count but yesterday evening there were over a hundred individuals going to roost. Three Jays were seen yesterday in Buckden woods.

The same fields held good numbers of Black-headed Gulls which included several juviniles from this season, there was also a small flock of Lapwing [7] in a cut field above Porritt lodge. As usual there are very large numbers of Wood Pigeon, only one Stock Dove and three pair of Collared Dove were seen.

There was still a Whitethroat at Ewood Bridge but Willow Warbler numbers were down since last week, possible Chiffchaff at Alderbottom and still several Blackcaps feeding around the route.

House Martins still feeding young in Edenfield, 20 + flying over, at least a dozen Swallows feeding over farmland, no Swifts or Sand Martin seen.

Over the last few days the river has been up and down and coloured, the new flood defence work between Strongstry and Stubbins is nearly complete, hopefully the closed footpath should soon be opened, the other path from Strongstry to Alderbottom viaduct which was closed in August 2012 is due for repair in spring 2018, yes 2018.

Dipper numbers are very good, I am almost certain that at least one pair has had three broods, when on my own it is difficult to count exactly but I think there were at least 12 dippers along the river, only one young Grey Wagtail seen also a young Grey Heron, first for a while. The Kingfishers [the attached picture was taken today] have had a good year there are still three or four flashing up and down the river.

Mallard numbers are about normal, two adult Canada Geese with the feral Greylag [?] at Irwell Vale. No Goosander were seen.

The young Sparrowhawks that have been around a while could not be found, but there was a Kestrel hunting around Porritt lodge which is unusual here. Neither of my Tawny Owl boxes were used this year but there was an Owl calling late last night.

Song Thrush numbers are still good, but struggled to find any more than a fleeting glimpse of one Mistle Thrush. We still do not get large Staling numbers here, there were just a few in the fields.

There were four or five Pheasants, mostly males in farmland above Stubbins Vale.

Regards Brian.