Not much about, Kestrel, Sparrowhalk and Buzzards all in flight,Brambling,Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Willow Tit,G S Woodpecker,Blue & Great Tits all round feeders

Pictures taken on a quick visit poor light (thats my excuse anyway)both the Sparrowhawk and the Kingfisher only stayed for seconds

A fairly uneventful day but mostly dry for a change. The female Scaup seen on Sunday on No.3 bed was no longer present but a pair of Pintail was in front of the John Morgan Hide. Seven Bramblings and 5 Bullfinches were at the feeders. A total of 570 Teal included 350 on No.2 bed and a reserve total of 13 Goldeneye included 11 at the weir.

After two days of almost continual rain many areas of the reserve were covered in surface water. Part of No.1 bed resembles a lake and some of the paths on that bed are impassable on foot. Main highlights today were a Peregrine at the viaduct and a total of 500 Black-headed Gulls. Tufted Ducks totalled 234 and there were 11 Goldeneyes at the weir. The feeders on No.3 bed attracted 2 Great spotted Woodpeckers, a Willow Tit and a Brambling.

Spent a couple of hours yesterday reviewing progress with the work on No.3 bed. Main sightings were 6 Water Rails,spread around the bed and 2 Woodcocks near the South Meadow. Finch numbers are still high, though I could only locate 2 Bramblings. The Starling roost is currently holding c.1,000 birds (per Kieran Foster) and is attracting several Sparrowhawks each evening.

The photos are of the work taking place on the east side of the bed, (where some pools, channels and bays are already evident)and of the sun setting over the ferry on the Ship Canal.

Cheers David

A temperature of minus 5 at dawn was probably the coldest of the winter so far and all waters except the canal and the main river were frozen. The cold weather resulted in an influx of Mallard with 208 across the reserve. A total of 441 Tufted Duck included 332 at Bollin Point. The regular group of Goldeneye at the basin has now grown to 20 including 15 males. The feeders at the John Morgan Hide attracted 3 Willow Tits whilst 4 Lesser Redpoll were feeding on seed heads in front of the hide.

A lovely, crisp morning at Woolston, as Dave Steel and I completed another BTO Thrush Survey on Nos.3 and 4 beds. Highlights were an over-flying Golden Plover, 8 Bramblings, 3 Water Rails, 9 Goldeneyes, 3 Goldrests, 12 Redpolls, 1 Snipe and 1 Siskin, alongside many of the more common species.

The photo was taken at sunrise from the Morgan Hide on No.3 bed Cheers David

A beautiful day although rather cold! Sightings of interest included 17 Goldeneyes (12 males and 5 females) on the river and a reserve total of 223 Tufted Duck. Bramblings were seen on both No.1 and No.3 beds and a Water Rail was calling on the Loop of No.4 bed.

WAXWINGS !! At last managed to connect with some Waxwings at Woolston this year. Was walking by the North Meadow on No.3 bed, with Dave Steel, Kenny McNiffe and our Wirral friends Colin and Stuart, when Kenny called attention to a flock of 18 or so birds flying towards us, low over the meadow. Starling-like at first, on closer approach they turned out to be Waxwings. They looked as if they were going to land in the bushes ahead of us but then carried on towards the north bank and disappeared.

Cheers David

Not much activity on the frozen water today but that’s what we were expecting after seeing so many Goldeneye and Tufted Duck on Woolston Weir. The feeders at either side of the Morgan Hide were very busy, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, a couple of Siskin, a pair of GS Woodpecker, a Jay, most Tits including Willow, Robin, Brambling, a Pheasant and Dunnock underneath, a Reedbunting in front and of course the Marsh Harrier. At home on our own feeders were Bullfinch and Goldfinch, a good ‘bird’ day rounded off nicely.

C & A Bailey

1500 hrs We saw a Marsh Harrier from Frank Morgan Hide being mobbed by a couple of Black Headed Gulls and later by a Crow.

Dave Steel and I spent the morning on No.3 bed, after being rained off from a dawn start to our Migration Watch on Butchersfield Tip. As soon as we got onto No.3 bed the skies cleared and the rest of the morning was crisp and sunny, though the water areas were almost completely frozen. The main birds moving were Wood Pigeons, with 2,500 counted moving north, while good numbers of Black-headed Gulls tracked west. The Chaffinch flock on the North Meadow is still in excess of 200 birds, while Bramblings have increased to a minimum of 15. The icy conditions are always good for seeing Water Rails, with 4 seen and another 3 heard. A single Kingfisher flew across the front of the Morgan Hide, maybe heading for the Mersey between Nos.3 and 4 beds. The river also held good concentrations of wildfowl with 285 Tufted Ducks and 88 Teal the main species. We ended the morning with a quick scan at Woolston Weir, where 9 Goldeneye (7 males) were with another 180 Tutfed Ducks.

Cheers David