Town centre birding

One of the joys of sometimes working out of an office in Blackburn town centre is that on occasions the town centre smells. Not in a bad way though, having Thwaites' brewery on it's doorstep and with the wind in the right direction some days the town is scented with the unmistakeable aroma of beer brewing. It's funny how a smell or a taste can transport you back in time. The smell of beer brewing takes me right back to my childhood, and my dad's home brewing exploits. I don't know how successful he was with it, or if it ever reached the point of being drinkable without causing temporary blindness, but the smell is one I will always now associate with that bucket of frothing liquid. One of the other advantages of being in the town centre today is that I can scan the skies for Peregrine's. I have seen a couple in the past month or so, in fact they can be quite distracting when I'm in meetings and one flies past the window, so much so I've started to sit with my back to the window to avoid them taking me away from my agenda. As i went for lunch I saw the resident flock of House Sparrows in the bushes next to work, chirping to each other, no doubt discussing where the next bit of dropped sandwich was likely to turn up! I had to wait until home time though to see the Peregrine, and as if it knew I wouldn't be able to get my camera, it waited till I was pulling the car into a queue of traffic to make it's appearance, flying around Thwaites' tower looking for a suitable perch. A nice end to my day for sure, town centre working may not have all the advantages of a rural setting, but if I got to see a Peregrine every day it would make up for it!
The weather forecast this weekend is threatening more snow, although light, but with the winds looking to be blustery I think a ringing trip is unlikely. I'll have to try and get out and get some birding in, although any migrants if they have any sense will have turned back south to keep warm!